Anthony Braxton Quotes

The worst mistake of first contact, made throughout history by individuals on both sides of every new encounter, has been the unfortunate habit of making assumptions. It often proved fatal.

I navigate different cultures daily, and I understand how people can make false assumptions because of their lack of interaction with the cultures I find myself in. But if they don't frequent these spaces much, how can they rush to judgment?

And there are a lot of people interested in creative music, there are more and more and more.

I always wanted to show the world that art is everywhere, except it has to pass through a creative mind.

Being wrong doesn't mean being creative - but if you aren't afraid of being wrong, you can't be creative.

I come from Somalia. We start working young, and we understand that kind of life. I would be bored to death not doing anything creative.

If you're afraid to be wrong you'll never do anything creative.

One of the things I've learned is there's no lesson to be learned. You have to resign yourself to the fact that mistakes are going to be made at any time in the creative process.

I don't believe there is a clash between cultures. I believe there is a clash between perceptions of each other.

Tell me", he wanted to say, "everything in the whole world" - for he had the wildest, most absurd, extravagant ideas about poets and poetry - but how to speak to a man who does not see you? who sees ogres, satyrs, perhaps the depth of the sea instead?

The critical mind is the creative mind.

Do you ever make silly mistakes? It is one of my very few creative activities.

The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.

Your poems are rather hard to understand, whereas your paintings are so easy. Easy? Of course - you paint flowers and girls and sunsets; things that everybody understands. I never met him. Who? Everybody. Did you ever hear of nonrepresentational painting? I am. Pardon me? I am a painter, and painting is nonrepresentational. Not all painting. No: housepainting is representational. And what does a housepainter represent? Ten dollars an hour. In other words, you don't want to be serious - It takes two to be serious.

There's no relationship that I find that's closer than a creative relationship.

Education is not just you learn how a mosquito flies in the rain, but you learn how to be creative and why it's exciting to learn things and create things and make up new things.

You have to be able to make a real creative life for Yourself, before you can expect anyone Else to provide one ready-made for you.

I think everyone is born creative but it can be suppressed by fear.

Pixar is the most technically advanced creative company; Apple is the most creatively advanced technical company.

He sucked his lips in an attempt not to laugh. "Aren't you Spanish?" She raised one arm in a salute. "Viva la Queen Isabella!" "I see. Then why are you speaking with a French accent?

Find the passion. It takes great passion and great energy to do anything creative. I would go so far as to say you can't do it without that passion.

Instead of asking "what’s the problem?" ask "what's the creative opportunity?

Even the creative things feel mathematic, almost.

You can be a giant among artists without ever attaining any great skill. Facility is a dangerous thing. When there is too much technical ease the brain stops criticizing. Don't let the hand fall into a smart way of putting the mind to sleep.