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
Yes, of course [this age] is materialistic, but the only way to counteract it is to create spiritual things. Don’t worry yourself about the materialism too much. Create and stir other people to create!
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Genius, in truth, means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
When we are writing, or painting, or composing, we are, during the time of creativity, freed from normal restrictions, and are opened to a wider world, where colors are brighter, sounds clearer, and people more wondrously complex than we normally realize.
—Madeleine L’Engle (1918–2007) American Author
What nature delivers to us is never stale. Because what nature creates has eternity in it.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902–91) Polish-born American Writer, Novelist, Short Story Writer
Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.
—Rita Mae Brown (b.1944) American Writer, Feminist
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
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
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-British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
Proximity to the crowd, to the majority view, spells the death of creativity. For a soul can create only when alone, and some are chosen for the flowering that takes place in the dark avenues of night.
—Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–72) American Jewish Rabbi
Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression. The chasm is never completely bridged. We all have the conviction, perhaps illusory, that we have much more to say than appears on the paper.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902–91) Polish-born American Writer, Novelist, Short Story Writer
There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish.
—Warren Bennis (1925–2014) American Business Academic, Author
Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.
—Mae Jemison (b.1956) American Physician, Astronaut
If you are going to be original, you are going to be wrong a lot.
—Anonymous
Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.
—Edward de Bono (1933–2021) Maltese-British Psychologist, Writer
Creative people who can’t help but explore other mental territories are at greater risk, just as someone who climbs a mountain is more at risk than someone who just walks along a village lane.
—R. D. Laing (1927–89) Scottish Psychiatrist
It is important to do what you don’t know how to do. It is important to see your skills as keeping you from learning what is deepest and most mysterious. If you know how to focus, unfocus. If your tendency is to make sense out of chaos, start chaos.
—Carlos Castaneda (1925–98) Peruvian-born American Anthropologist, Author
No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
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) American Cultural Historian, Philosopher
One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.
—A. A. Milne (1882–1956) British Humorist, Playwright, Children’s Writer
The principal mark of genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers.
—Arthur Koestler (1905–83) British Writer, Journalist, Political Refugee
Successful people engage that creative part of their minds and ask, “Well, I wonder how else I can look at this problem?” I wonder how else I could deal with this decision? I wonder what other possibilities I have there?
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
We need creativity in order to break free from the temporary structures that have been set up by a particular sequence of experience.
—Edward de Bono (1933–2021) Maltese-British Psychologist, Writer
I learned…that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.
—Brenda Ueland (1891–1985) American Journalist Memoirist
Many people are inventive, sometimes cleverly so. But real creativity begins with the drive to work on and on and on.
—Margueritte Harmon Bro (1894–1977) American Missionary In China
The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
The creative individual has the capacity to free himself from the web of social pressures in which the rest of us are caught. He is capable of questioning the assumptions that the rest of us accept.
—John W. Gardner (1912–2002) American Activist
The creative person is willing to live with ambiguity. He doesn’t need problems solved immediately and can afford to wait for the right ideas.
—Abe Tannenbaum (1922–2009) American Architect
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
—Scott Adams (b.1957) American Cartoonist
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