As a human being the artist may have many moods and a will and personal aims, but as an artist he is “man” in a higher sense—he is “collective man”—one who carries and shapes the unconscious, psychic life of mankind.
- Carl Gustav Jung
Maya Deren: "The most important part..."
The most important part of your equipment is yourself: your mobile body, your imaginative mind, and your freedom to use both. Make sure you do use them.
- Maya Deren
Pablo Neruda: "All paths lead to the same goal..."
All paths lead to the same goal: to convey to others what we are.
- Pablo Neruda
Ansel Adams: "No man has the right..."
No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create, or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.
- Ansel Adams
Julia Cameron: "Art lies in the moment of encounter..."
Art lies in the moment of encounter: we meet our truth and we meet ourselves; we meet ourselves and we meet our self-expression. We become original because we become something specific: an origin from which work flows.
- Julia Cameron
Paul Cézanne: "You say a new era in art is..."
You say a new era in art is preparing; you sensed it coming; continue your studies without weakening. God will do the rest.
- Paul Cézanne
Andy Warhol: "Don't think about making art, just get it done..."
Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.
- Andy Warhol
Man Ray: "An original is a creation motivated by desire..."
An original is a creation motivated by desire. Any reproduction of an original is motivated by necessity. It is marvelous that we are the only species that creates gratuitous forms. To create is divine, to reproduce is human.
- Man Ray
Kurt Vonnegut: "Practicing an art, not matter how well..."
Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.
- Kurt Vonnegut
Jane Campion: "Being responsible for everything..."
Being responsible for everything you put in your picture, and being able to defend it. Keeping everything clear around you so you know what is operating. To open the wound and keep it clean.
- Jane Campion
Andrei Tarkovsky: "A masterpiece is a space..."
A masterpiece is a space closed in upon itself, not subject to either cooling or over-heating. Beauty is in the balance of the parts.
- Andrei Tarkovsky
Mark Rothko: "The satisfaction of the creative impulse..."
The satisfaction of the creative impulse is a basic, biological need, essential to the health of the individual. Its aggregate effect on the health of society is inestimable.
- Mark Rothko
Twyla Tharp: "When creativity has become your habit..."
When creativity has become your habit; when you’ve learned to manage time, resources, expectations, and the demands of others; when you understand the value and place of validation, continuity, and purity of purpose—then you’re on the way to an artist’s ultimate goal: the achievement of mastery.
- Twyla Tharp
Edwin Adrian Nieves: "The heart of great art is..."
The heart of great art is mastery of language. Focus on what you want your audience to engage with and how you want your audience to experience your work. The feeling will generate the meaning. The feel is the meaning.
- Edwin Adrian Nieves
Robert Bresson: "Master precision..."
Master precision. Be a precision instrument myself.
- Robert Bresson
Pharrell Williams: "Creativity is like the work of the universe..."
Creativity is like the work of the Universe. The Universe is a library. All we’re doing is checking ideas out.
- Pharrell Williams
Georgia O'Keeffe: "To create one's world..."
To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.
- Georgia O’Keeffe
Pablo Picasso: "Inspiration does exist..."
Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.
- Pablo Picasso