Inspiring Quotes about Creativity

I’ll bet quotations inspire you.

Well, some of them do… that’s how I feel, anyway.

When a quotation sparks my creativity or makes me smile, it’s like the person is at my side saying, “You can do this… you really ARE an artist… we ALL are!”

So, as I’m taking a course in online videos, I created this video with some of my favorite quotations as well as some photos that seem to highlight what they mean to me. (Maybe it’s not perfect, but it is my attempt to put a little more inspiration into the world… and isn’t that what art is all about?)

The photographs

The following photographers’ pictures appear in this video.

Ali Taylor, UK – Rushing water

Ariel da Silva Parreira, Mexico – Iceberg; lights on road (Rauschenberg quote)

Asif Akbar, India – Brick wall; old (green) building (Anne Maybe quote); Temple (Picasso quote); bicycle photo (Jeff Beck quote); opening and closing graphics

Christophe Libert, France – Runners leaping hurdles

Flavio Takemoto, Brazil – Spectrum of colors (Thurman quote)

Justyna Furmanczyk, Poland – Poppy in field

Leonardini, Ukraine – Butterfly photo

Remiguisz Szczerbak, Poland – Open window (Ebert quote)

Zanetta Hardy, USA – Autumn leaves

The quotations

“The voice our our original self is often muffled, overwhelmed, even strangled by the voices of other people’s expectations.” — Julia Cameron

“There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.” — Martha Graham

“I don’t think you have to do anything to make your life into a work of art — it is one. What you have to do is observe it, be aware of the weirdness, beauty and artistry that occurs every day.” — Anne Maybe

“What you do instead of your work is your real work.” — Roger Ebert

“When you are doing what is right, it all starts to click and fits into place. It is not that you don’t have challenges, but you have the tools to meet the challenges.” — from ‘Manifesting Your Heart’s Desire’ by Fengler & Varnum

“Taste is the enemy of creativeness.” — Pablo Picasso

“The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars.” — David Bayles & Ted Orland, in ‘Art and Fear’

“As long as there’s something original going on, that’s all that really matters.” — Jeff Beck

“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt; perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.” — Robert Hughes

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.” — Henry David Thoreau

“Don’t ask what the world needs. As what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman

Music (sound track)

The music in this video is ‘Back to Back’ by Father Rock.

Elsewhere online

You can see this video (or share it with others) at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH0vSSttzBU

So now… go make art!