Quotes About Creativity

Poetry is like a beef bouillon cube; it's hardly ever needed (or perhaps never needed at all); it sits in its precious wrapper, well out of view, until everyone has forgotten it's there.

Discover great authors, exclusive offers

The key is to understand the Nutritarian principles and then be creative in your cooking. Rely on herbs, spices, flavored vinegars, roasted garlic, dried tomatoes, fruits, and toasted seeds to make interesting flavors and dishes without relying on salt and oil, like most people do.

Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.

Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.

We do not ask for what useful purpose the birds do sing, for song is their pleasure since they were created for singing. Similarly, we ought not to ask why the human mind troubles to fathom the secrets of the heavens... The diversity of the phenomena of Nature is so great and the treasures hidden in the heavens so rich, precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking for fresh nourishment.

We do not ask for what useful purpose the birds do sing, for song is their pleasure since they were created for singing. Similarly, we ought not to ask why the human mind troubles to fathom the secrets of the heavens. The diversity of the phenomena of Nature is so great, and the treasures hidden in the heavens so rich, precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment.

A writer had to stand the silences that came with being alone[…]. You could think when you were alone, and writers needed to think.

Why have I not genius to start some new thought? Some thing that will surprise the world?

The world has suffered no greater literary loss than the loss of Sappho's poems.

Most reckless things are beautiful in some way, and recklessness is what makes experimental art beautiful, just as religions are beautiful because of the strong possibilities that they are founded on nothing.

Just when I thought there wasn't room enough for another thought in my head, I had this great idea—

So one can lose a good idea by not writing it down, yet by losing it one can have it: it nourishes other asides it knows nothing of, would not recognize itself in, yet when the negotiations are terminated, speaks in the acts of that progenitor, and does recognize itself, is grateful for not having done so earlier.

It seems to me a work of art is the evidence offered by a fantastically observant witness

The sentence is the great invention of civilization. To sit all day long assembling these extraordinary strings of words is a marvelous thing. I couldn't ask for anything better. It's as near to godliness as I can get.

The novel is a kind of elephant. But I like to make that elephant dance on a quarter.

So, reader, should you ever find yourself writing about the world, take care not to nibble at the many tempting symbols she sets squarely in your path, or you'll be baited into saying things you don't really mean, and offending the people you want most to entertain. Develop, if you can, the technique of the pall bearers and myself: smile, to be sure -- for fucking dogs are truly funny -- but walk on and say nothing, as though you hadn't noticed.

What I've learned is that the muses' decision to sing or not to sing is not based on the elevation of your moral purpose— they will sing or not, regardless.

he felt that a treasure-house of new fiction lay vaguely under his hand, if he could only find the key to it.

I have gathered a posy of other men's flowers and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own.

lay loooo-yah! A-layyyy-loo yah!" He had abandoned his tenor and was singing in a wavering falsetto.

Because of my music, I have never known loneliness and never been depressed.

You should always be trying to write a poem you are unable to write, a poem you lack the technique, the language, the courage to achieve. Otherwise you're merely imitating yourself, going nowhere, because that's always easiest.

Them lady poets must not marry, pal.