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Creativity Quotes — 106 Creativity Quotes, Each Checked to Its Source

Creativity quotes on imagination, invention and the creative urge, from Leonardo and Goethe to Einstein and Picasso, each checked to its source.

We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry.

W. B. Yeats

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.

William Wordsworth

A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.

Virginia Woolf

Preach not because you have to say something, but because you have something to say.

Richard Whately

Poetry is to prose as dancing is to walking.

John Wain · BBC radio broadcast, 13 January 1976.

As to the Adjective: when in doubt, strike it out.

Mark Twain

Three hours a day will produce as much as a man ought to write.

Anthony Trollope

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

Albert von Szent-Györgyi

Proper words in proper places, make the true definition of a style.

Jonathan Swift

The poet is the priest of the invisible.

Wallace Stevens

Writing, when properly managed (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.

Laurence Sterne

Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness.

Georges Simenon

Every good poet includes a critic; the reverse will not hold.

William Shenstone

Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes—ah, that is where the art resides!

Artur Schnabel

A mere copier of nature can never produce anything great.

Joshua Reynolds

Poetry must be as well written as prose.

Ezra Pound

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.

Pablo Picasso

Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn.

Charlie Parker

Creativity Quotes

We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry.

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.

A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.

Preach not because you have to say something, but because you have something to say.

Poetry is to prose as dancing is to walking.

As to the Adjective: when in doubt, strike it out.

Three hours a day will produce as much as a man ought to write.

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

Proper words in proper places, make the true definition of a style.

The poet is the priest of the invisible.

Writing, when properly managed (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.

Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness.

Every good poet includes a critic; the reverse will not hold.

Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.

The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes—ah, that is where the art resides!

A mere copier of nature can never produce anything great.

Poetry must be as well written as prose.

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.

Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn.

Good prose is like a window-pane.

It's an odd job, making decent people laugh.

All good things which exist are the fruits of originality.

Eloquence is heard, poetry is overheard.

Genius does what it must, and Talent does what it can.

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Creativity Quotes

“We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry.”

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.”

“Preach not because you have to say something, but because you have something to say.”

“Poetry is to prose as dancing is to walking.”

“Three hours a day will produce as much as a man ought to write.”

“Proper words in proper places, make the true definition of a style.”

“The poet is the priest of the invisible.”

“Writing, when properly managed (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.”

“Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness.”

“Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.”

“The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes—ah, that is where the art resides!”

“Poetry must be as well written as prose.”

“Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn.”

Frequently asked questions

We Value Your Opinion Comments

We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry.

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.

Preach not because you have to say something, but because you have something to say.

Poetry is to prose as dancing is to walking.

Three hours a day will produce as much as a man ought to write.

Proper words in proper places, make the true definition of a style.

The poet is the priest of the invisible.

Writing, when properly managed (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.

Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness.

Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.

The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes—ah, that is where the art resides!

Poetry must be as well written as prose.

Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn.