Quote of the Day

An adolescent or an adult who writes poetry or does philosophy has to cultivate innocence to be able to puzzle and muse over the simplest ways we have of saying and seeing things.  Sophistication may bring increased knowledge and, perhaps, a refined sensitivity.  But it may also encourage a cult of experts, dull sensitivity, and may reward flatulence in thought and language.  Every society needs a barefoot Socrates to ask childishly simple (childishly difficult!) questions, to force its members to reexamine what they have  been thoughtlessly taking for granted.

-- Gareth Matthews

Quote of the Day

Because they're less concerned with being wrong or looking foolish, children often ask questions that adults won't ask. 

-- Tom Vanderbilt

Quote of the Day

Our fear of looking foolish holds us back from learning, trying new things, experimenting, and doing our most wild, daring, creative work.  If you act as though you know everything, you will learn nothing and never discover anything new. 

-- Austin Kleon, Don't Call It Art, p. 41

Quote of the Day

All stories become instructions for living: If you believe in art as tragedy, then in order to do creative work, you must be a genius or great talent, and you must suffer.  You have to be willing to wreck your whole life and the lives of others just to make your art.

What would happen if we told the story as a comedy?  In a comedy, ordinary people fumble about their lives, not knowing exactly what they're doing or where they're going.  They get themselves into extraordinary situations.  They fail a lot, but they remain playful and rely on their wits.  They improvise and adapt.  They make the most of things.  They keep a sense of humor and stick around, because the ending of a comedy is always a happy one -- every ending is the beginning of the rest of their lives.

That sounds like a story I want to be in. 

-- Austin Kleon, Don't Call It Art, p. 35-36

Quote of the Day

Our world is awash in information.  What it's lacking is wonder.  We think we need more information, when what we really need is to spend more time figuring things out on our own, fumbling about, exploring, getting lost, playing through our frustrations, and discovering something of our own.

-- Austin Kleon, Don't Call It Art, p. 25

Quote of the Day

Even the teachers who can tell you exactly what they know and what they're doing can't tell you exactly what you should do.  No matter how good your teacher is, the learning much be done by you. 

-- Austin Kleon, Don't Call It Art, p. 24

Quote of the Day

I started producing and creating shows because this is my mantra ... if you don't see yourself represented, go out and represent yourself.

-- Murray Hill

Quote of the Day

Be yourself.  No one can say you're doing it wrong.

-- Snoopy

Quote of the Day

The discovery that nobody knows anything can be frightening but also incredibly liberating, if you take it to heart.  If nobody knows anything, you might have a shot at doing the things that you want to do after all.  If nobody knows anything, you can figure things out on your own and do things your way.  If nobody knows anything, nobody can tell you what to do.

-- Austin Kleon, Don't Call It Art, p. 19-20

Quote of the Day

Luckily, art critics are only interested in art.  If you don't call it art, the critics won't care what you're doing, and they'll leave you alone.  Now you can do whatever you want. 

-- Austin Kleon, Don't Call It Art, p. 9

Quote of the Day

One day I was listening to an interview with the musician Fiona Apple, and she admitted that she reads a lot of parenting books, not because she plans on having kids but because she wants to learn how to parent herself.  "So, you're the parent and the child?" the interviewer asked.  "Well, I mean, you always have to be," Apple said.  "Everybody has to be for themselves, I think." 

-- Austin Kleon, Don't Call It Art, p. 4

Quote of the Day

As I was learning to love and care for these little artists in my life, I started wondering why I didn't show myself the same love and care.  It was the thought I had when I read parenting books: Why are we doing all this stuff for our kids but not ourselves?  Why aren't we all taking time to play?  Why aren't we all letting ourselves get bored?  Why aren't we all limiting our screen time and going outside? 

-- Austin Kleon, Don't Call It Art, p. 4