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Creative Life Quotes

On keeping imagination alive across a lifetime.

A creative life rarely moves in a straight line, and these quotes trace that winding path, from early ambition to lasting creative purpose.

At the very beginning of my creative life I loved humanity. I wanted to do something good for mankind. Soon I understood that it isn't possible to save mankind.

Quotes by Wislawa Szymborska

When anyone starts out to do something creative - especially if it seems a little unusual - they seek approval, often from those least inclined to give it. But a creative life cannot be sustained by approval, any more than...

Quotes by Will Self

All my life I've had the privilege to make my living with my imagination, and the most important thing has been to see my creative life grow. I was educated to do that and have lived accordingly.

Quotes by Tommy Lee Jones

Your personal life, your professional life, and your creative life are all intertwined. I went through a few very difficult years where I felt like a failure. But it was actually really important for me to go through that. Struggle,...

Quotes by Skylar Grey

Beginning Quotes

The momentum of my creative life and intellectual growth is still the momentum of breaking out of fundamentalism. Because of that, I'm very grateful for it. But I'm also grateful that at the center of it was something that I...

Quotes by Scott Derrickson

I believe that my whole creative life stemmed from this magic hour under the stars on that hilltop.

Quotes by Ruth St. Denis

Your creative life can continue to just turn inside out and evolve in ways that you can't possibly imagine, whether or not you decide to be a parent. It doesn't matter.

Quotes by Kathryn Hahn

As a writer of both novels and screenplays, I can say that screenwriting is a vastly rewarding creative life - if you fight hard enough to do it on your own terms. Whether I write books or not, my screenwriting...

Quotes by John Fusco

I've had the thought that a person's 'artistic vision' is really just the cumulative combination of whatever particular stances he has sincerely occupied during his creative life - even if some of those might appear contradictory.

Quotes by George Saunders

Believe Quotes

The possibility of being as free with the camera as we are with the pen is a fantastic prospect for the creative life of the 21st century.

Quotes by Carlos Fuentes

I am tapping into a place in you that is unexplored, and very dangerous, but I think essential to the creative life of an artist.

Quotes by Brandon Boyd

When it comes to your creative life and what it's going to take, you will do a disservice to everybody if you just dabble.

Quotes by Alice Ripley

Frequently Asked Questions

What themes define a creative life in these quotes?
Early ambition, seeking approval, and letting artistic work evolve unpredictably over decades all come up, painting creativity as an ongoing process rather than a fixed identity.
Do these quotes suggest a creative life requires approval from others?
Not really. One quote notes that people often seek approval from those least inclined to give it, arguing a creative life can't depend on validation to survive.
How does parenthood factor into a creative life here?
One quote points out a creative life keeps evolving in unexpected ways whether or not someone becomes a parent, treating both as compatible rather than opposed.
Is a creative life tied to a specific profession?
No, the quotes reference acting, imagination-driven careers, and general artistic pursuits, suggesting the idea applies broadly beyond any one craft.
Where should I go next after reading these?
Explore beginning quotes for more on starting a creative path, or creative quotes for a wider view of the theme.

For more on where that path starts, see quotes about the beginning of a creative journey, or lines on learning to believe in your own work.