28 Inspiring Quotes about Art and Creativity

Last Updated on 23/10/2024

^{This page contains AFFILIATE LINKS. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Plus, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more on the disclosure policy page.}

Discover my fav quotes about art and creativity that help us contemplate and understand their different interpretations; from skill as a result of learning or practice to a way of understanding complex concepts.

_{^{Advertisement}}

What is creativity?

First of all, we read in the vocabulary the common definitions of art. It’s the work we make using creative skills and imagination. Also, art is the method we use to create works of art like painting, sculpture, drawing, music, literature, poetry, and dance. And, creativity is a skill or talent that uses imagination to create something and original ideas to solve or invent something.

So, art requires skills, methods, and talent to create a work that meets the standards of aesthetics. And, creativity requires imagination and original ideas. In other words, you don’t have to be an artist to be creative, and you don’t have to be creative as an artist. But, if you have both, it’s great.

_{^{Advertisement}}

28 Inspiring Quotes about Art and Creativity

My fav quotes about art

Anton Chekhov said that the role of an artist is to ask questions and not to answer them. And, these questions may vary from specific technical and artistic themes to broader concepts about life, existence, and self. So, many quotes about art talk about the worth not only of self-discovery but also the discovery of the world. Moreover, they underline the importance of art as a way to reduce stress and heal traumas.

Anton Chekhov wrote that if you want to work on your art, you should work on your life. Thus, your art would be reflected not only in your work but in your life, too.

“If you want to work on your art work on your life.”

Anton Chekhov

“Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker will be able to treat life as art”

Maya Angelou

Learning an artful skill and practicing it in your artwork resemblance to a journey. We may know when it starts but its destination may be unknown. According to Louis Kahan, the ultimate destination of this journey is discovering the frontiers of oneself which is the most strange thing.

“Art is a journey into the most unknown thing of all – oneself. Nobody knows his own frontiers… I don’t think I’d ever want to take a road if I knew where it led.”

Louis Kahan

Similarly, Thomas Merton pointed out the important role of art in our self-knowledge. And, at the same time, to lose our individuality and conceive universal ideas or values. The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw also compared art to a mirror when we can somehow see our soul.

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

Thomas Merton

“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.”

 George Bernard Shaw 

Moreover, the Greek philosopher Aristotle suggested that the aim of art doesn’t stop at just representing things but at expressing their significance.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

Aristotle

There are some of the most inspiring quotes about art by the famous painter Pablo Picasso. According to him, art helps us not only realize the truth but also to get rid of the trivia of everyday life. Plus, he talked about how difficult is to keep the uniqueness and the original expression that we have been practicing so easily in drawing in our early childhood.

“Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth.”

Pablo Picasso

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Pablo Picasso

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Pablo Picasso

“Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere”.

G. K. Chesterton

The author Thomas Mann considers art the way to bring spirituality to our lives. Plus, arts that use language like literature and poetry make us both creative and critical.

“Art is the funnel, as it were, through which spirit is poured into life.”

Thomas Mann

“An art whose medium is language will always show a high degree of critical creativeness, for speech is itself a critique of life: it names, characterizes, it passes judgment, in that it creates.”

Thomas Mann

“Who told you that one paints with colors? One makes use of colors but paints with emotions“.

French painter Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin

“What a splendid thing watercolor is to express atmosphere and distance, so that the figure is surounded by air and breathe in it”.

Vincent Van Gogh

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect”.

Anais Nin

_{^{Advertisement}}

More quotes about creativity

First of all, creativity is so important in our life. Every achievement of the modern world owes a portion to its success in creativity. It’s the way we use our thinking and imagination to improve our lives by solving problems with innovative ideas. Thus, creativity makes us more satisfied, gives us self-confidence, and helps us live longer and happier. And, this connection between creativity, self-confidence, joy, and happiness, is a notion that many quotes express. So, check out more fav quotes about art and creativity.

So, Scott Adams, the author and cartoonist of “Dilbert” said that creativity allows us to make mistakes. But it is art that gives us the knowledge that tells us what to keep.

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”

Scott Adams

And, I guess that’s why Henri Matisse said we need courage to be creative. We should be ready to experiment with new innovative things. And, prepare ourselves for the mistakes or failures that this risk may bring.

“Creativity takes courage.”

Henri Matisse

On the other hand, there is a famous citation by Albert Einstein that connects creativity with intelligence. And, it’s so true because from ancient times people become creative to solve problems and make their life better. Thus, creativity makes us feel better.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

Albert Einstein

Following the same notion, Steven Jobs pointed out that creativity connects things in order to solve problems and make something new.

“Creativity is just connecting things.“

Steve Jobs

Furthermore, the famous poet Sylvia Plath set out self-doubt as the worst enemy of creativity. If we always doubt what we can do, we will never try something creatively new.

“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

Sylvia Plath

Thus, Erich Fromm pointed out the important role of courage in order to let go of certainties in order to be originally creative.

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”

Erich Fromm

And, Maya Angelou talked about the paradox of creativity. Once you start being creative, the more creative you will become.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

Maya Angelou

“In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.”

Rollo May

“Creativity is the greatest rebellion in existence.”

Osho

“All the things that truly matter, beauty, love, creativity, joy and inner peace arise from beyond the mind.”

Eckhart Tolle

“That’s the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.”

Ray Bradbury

Moreover, Franklin D. Roosevelt connected happiness with creativity due to the joy that we feel when we achieve something new.

“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Lastly, Salvador Dali said that confusion sets creativity free. Thus, we should use confusion and contradiction in order to make original creations.

“You have to systematically create confusion, it sets creativity free. Everything that is contradictory creates life.”

Salvador Dali

^{This page contains AFFILIATE LINKS. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Plus, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more on the disclosure policy page.}

_{^{Advertisement}}