99 Quotes by Eric Maisel

The growth that an artist seeks is a fine combination of mastering craft, garnering an audience, maintaining one’s mental health, and working mightily from a ever-expanding base of experience.

Creativity is the gift that keeps on giving.

Creativity requires introspection, self-examination, and a willingness to take risks. Because of this, artists are perhaps more susceptible to self-doubt and despair than those who do not court the creative muses.

Deconstruction is great for the intellect, but it hurts the heart terribly.

An alive piece of art may be more alive than much of its audience, and with this odd truth artists must make peace.

To decide to reach for this blue and not that one, to switch styles or subject matter, to move, in the middle of a sentence, in one direction or another, to commit to this book when that one is also calling, are the sorts of choices that artists must make if they are to function.

By ‘expecting nothing’ you are not ‘giving up.’ Far from it! You are making a decision to focus on what needs to be done rather than on outcomes.

The artist dreams of works of real breadth; but, limited by his personality and the nature of his medium, limited by inner disturbances and loss of purpose, he often works more narrowly than he’d intended.

Chaos is everywhere – and artists, to fashion art and live truthfully, have no choice but to invite this unwanted guest right into the studio.