It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
The deepest experience of the creator is feminine, for it is experience of receiving and bearing.
—Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) Austrian Poet
Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
—Pierre-Marc-Gaston, duc de Levis
Even the best writer has to erase sometimes.
—Spanish Proverb
The life of the creative man is lead, directed and controlled by boredom. Avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes.
—Saul Steinberg (1914–99) American Cartoonist, Illustrator
The road less traveled made all the difference.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
The way of the Creative works through change and transformation, so that each thing receives its true nature and destiny and comes into permanent accord with the great harmony: this is what furthers and what perseveres.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
The capacity to be puzzled is … the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.
—Erich Fromm (1900–80) German-American Psychoanalyst, Social Philosopher
If one finds the strength to deal with small things, one finds it to deal with the large ones as well.
—Etty Hillesum (1914–43) Jewish Diarist
With our thoughts we shape the world.
—Buddhist Teaching
Our senses are indeed our doors and windows on this world, in a very real sense the key to the unlocking of meaning and the wellspring of creativity.
—Jean Houston (b.1937) American New Thought Author, Speaker
Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.
—C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) Irish-born British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
Ideally a painter (and, generally, an artist) should not become conscious of his insights: without taking the detour through his reflective processes, and incomprehensibly to himself, all his progress should enter so swiftly into the work that he is unable to recognize them in the moment of transition. Alas, the artist who waits in ambush there, watching, detaining them, will find them transformed like the beautiful gold in the fairy tale which cannot remain gold because some small detail was not taken care of.
—Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) Austrian Poet
It’s like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
—E. L. Doctorow (b.1931) American Writer, Editor, Academic
The greatest genius will never be worth much if he pretends to draw exclusively from his own resources. What is genius but the faculty of seizing and turning to account everything that strikes us?
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The chief enemy of creativity is “good” sense.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Artist
There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.
—Edward de Bono (1933–2021) Maltese-British Psychologist, Writer
In producers, loafing is productive; and no creator, of whatever magnitude, has ever been able to skip that stage, any more than a mother can skip gestation.
—Jacques Barzun (b.1907) French-born American Historian, Philosophers
The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered.
—Jean Piaget (1896–1980) Swiss Psychologist
Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy-the sense of order imposed on the disciplined adult intelligence.
—Norman Podhoretz (b.1930) American Political Activist, Columnist, Author
True creativity is characterized by a succession of acts each dependent on the one before and suggesting the one after.
—Edwin H. Land (1909–91) American Inventor, Physicist
I have asked a lot of my emotions—one hundred and twenty stories. The price was high, right up with Kipling, because there was one little drop of something, not blood, not a tear, not my seed, but me more intimately than these, in every story, it was the extra I had. Now it has gone and I am just like you now.
—Unknown
The best way to predict the future is to create it.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter (like the river banks) forcing the spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of art or poem.
—Rollo May (1909–94) American Philosopher
Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
A creation of importance can only be produced when its author isolates himself, it is a child of solitude.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting.
—Edward de Bono (1933–2021) Maltese-British Psychologist, Writer
When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for the famed teacher, Diogenes replied, “Only stand out of my light.” Perhaps some day we shall know how to heighten creativity. Until then, one of the best things we can do for creative men and women is to stand out of their light.
—John W. Gardner (1912–2002) American Activist
Joy is but the sign that creative emotion is fulfilling its purpose.
—Charles Du Bos (1882–1939) French Literary Critic
An inventor a man who looks upon the world and is not contented with things as they are. He wants to improve whatever he sees, he wants to benefit the world.
—Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) Scottish-born American Inventor, Engineer, Academic