John Updike Quotes

Creativity is merely a plus name for regular activity. Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better.

Craft is everything.

I work really hard on my craft.

I always try to write the best I can.

When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.

I'd like people to remember me for a diligent expert workman. I think a poet is a workman. I think Shakespeare was a workman. And God's a workman. I don't think there's anything better than a workman.

Art is a by-product of an honest and successful attempt to do something well.

What is an artist but a workman who is determined that, whatever else happens, his work shall be excellent?

Anything is an art if you do it at the level of an art.

I don't care if you're doing haute cuisine or burgers and pizza, just do it right.

The rules are simple. Take your work, but never yourself, seriously. Pour in the love and whatever skill you have, and it will come out.

You have to pay attention to the work on the page and make it as good as possible because it could be your last.

A man cannot make a pair of shoes rightly unless he do it in a devout manner.

The beauty of a finely worked object points to the beauty of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the craftsmanship points to the beauty of the name which was the source of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the name of the craftsman's art points to the beauty of the craftsman's attributes manifested in that art.

I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art.

If I am a cup maker, I'm interested in making the best cup I possibly can. My effort goes into that cup, not what people think about it.

I take pride in my craft, and I work extremely hard.

The best stuff is done by people who love it, whether that's high art or low art, whatever that is.

I don't want anyone to expect anything from me. I just want them to know that I'm gonna put 1,037% into whatever I do. If I tell you I'm gonna release a folk/reggae/country album, just know at bare minimum there's gonna be 1,010% put into it.

You've got to perfect your craft.

That's kind of how I see my workmanship: it's how many hours I put in that makes me better.

My thing is to play as well as I can possibly can.

I take my craft seriously.

I'm always practising because I enjoy it.

Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully.