Theodore von Karman Quotes

I never look at other people's work. My mind has to be completely focused on my own illusions.

No man was ever great by imitation.

I just like doing things from my own head.

Creativity is down the tube. And people give a lot of lip service to individuality. I know they all appreciate it, but they all say they would like to do it, but they don't want to work at it, and it doesn't come out of the sky.

Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.

But when you're beginning, you should try to focus on something you love and your own way of doing things.

I quickly realized I had to have my own style and strategy and find my own way.

A lot of people forget how important it is to be creative. We get caught up in getting ahead and in day-to-day minutiae. But creativity is a fundamental mode of expression, as is being tenacious and standing by your own convictions and passions, even if it's not the 'popular' choice.

Everything I've performed has been from my own head.

I just really like to find my own ideas.

People are always talking about originality; but what do they mean? As soon as we are born, the world begins to work upon us; and this goes on to the end. And after all, what can we call our own, except energy, strength, and will? If I could give an account of all that I owe to great predecessors and contemporaries, there would be but a small balance in my favor.

Almost everything I've done, I've done through my own creativity.

I realised all the good ideas were taken before I was even born.

Don't follow in any footprints, make your own prints. Because, you are the future of tomorrow.

If an artist may say nothing except what he has invented by his own sole efforts, it stands to reason he will be poor in ideas. If he could take what he wants wherever he could find it, as Euripides and Dante and Michelangelo and Shakespeare and Bach were free, his larder would always be full, and his cookery might be worth tasting.

My ideas and creativity are the sources of inspiration for me.

Too much good taste can be very boring. Independent style, on the other hand, can be very inspiring.

I don't chase what everyone else is looking for. Being creative is all about you.

Creativity is a by-product of hard work. If I never have another really new idea, it won't matter.

Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now, and be a lot wealthier." I'm actually making it difficult for myself. I wouldn't call it re-branding. If I get bored with my work, then other people will - it's that simple. And I'm not gonna get bored with what I'm doing. I'll struggle and fight and do new things to excite myself - and do it in my own sweet way.

I knew naturally as a child not to forfeit my creativity to a world that's all laid out for me. I'll look at everything around me and vow to keep in mind that alla this is just someone's idea. It could have just as well been mine.

If you're waiting for encouragement from others, you're doing it wrong. By the time people think an idea is good, it's probably too late.

Everyone wants a definition of creativity that makes what they do into something special and what everyone else does into nothing special. But the fact is, we're all creative. We come up with weird and interesting ideas all the time. The biggest difference between 'creators' isn't their imagination - it's how hard they work. Ideas are easy. Doing stuff is hard.

Beethoven’s music always struck me. Always. He had this fire you know. I remember reading this story of him going deaf and pushing himself into self-isolation and that’s where he became himself. And to me that was, wow. Don’t let anything poison your individuality. Be away, break away and look in not outward.