First, I do not sit down at my desk to put into verse something that is already clear in my read more

First, I do not sit down at my desk to put into verse something that is already clear in my mind. If it were clear in my mind, I should have no incentive or need to write about it. We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.

It is not good enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.

It is not good enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.

It's like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole read more

It's like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

It seems safe to say that significant discovery, really creative thinking, does not occur with regard to problems about which read more

It seems safe to say that significant discovery, really creative thinking, does not occur with regard to problems about which the thinker is lukewarm.

Creativity is allowing oneself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

Creativity is allowing oneself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life

It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life

Because of their courage, their lack of fear, they (creative people) are willing to make silly mistakes. The truly creative read more

Because of their courage, their lack of fear, they (creative people) are willing to make silly mistakes. The truly creative person is one who can think crazy; such a person knows full well that many of his great ideas will prove to be worthless. The creative person is flexible -- he is able to change as the situation changes, to break habits, to face indecision and changes in conditions without undue stress. He is not threatened by the unexpected as rigid, inflexible people are.

It's been very important throughout my career that I've met all the guys I've copied, because at each stage they've read more

It's been very important throughout my career that I've met all the guys I've copied, because at each stage they've said, "Don't play like me, play like you.".

Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found.

Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found.