Bessie Head Quotes

I think I write or publish as much as I do because I can bear being without a book to work on. But routinely when I finish a book, I think, "What will I do? Where will I get an idea?" And a kind of low-level panic sets in. And then eventually something happens. I don't know. If I knew how it happened I would repeat the process, but I don't know - something just occurs to me.

Don't think about making art, just get it done.

Talent works for money and fame; the motive which moves genius to productivity is, on the other hand, less easy to determine.

The one mistake which is committed habitually by people who have the gift of half-genius, is waiting for inspiration.

I get so many ideas for songs, but I'm so seldom disciplined enough to sit down and crank them out.

You don't necessarily have to be in misery to be talented.

I do not believe in inspiration, but I must have a title in order to work, otherwise I am lost.

I always have music playing in my studio when I design. It really gets me in the mood and allows me to focus.

If I wait for the genius to come, it just doesn't arrive.

I didn't finish the stories until we went to the Philippines and I got malaria. I couldn't work and I didn't have any money, but I had seven stories. So I wrote three or four more.

Passion is the genesis of genius.

To work in a treadmill all one's life, to wear oneself to the bone all one's days, is not conducive to the outflowering of genius. If we desire a real crop of great art, great poetry, great thinking, we must provide the proper conditions.

There's nothing more stressful than your stomach growling. But interestingly enough, some of my best writing came when I was poor and hungry - living off water and oatmeal, mind clear.

I'm not really worried about writer's block.

Usually composers need a reason to write. I need a deadline.

If a composer suffers from loss of sleep and his sleeplessness induces him to turn out masterpieces, what a profitable loss it is!

But the writing life, it turned out, was difficult. It wasn't like you could sit down and flip a switch and crank on the ventilation system. Sometimes it didn't work, and sometimes you couldn't even find the switch.

Some knitters say that they buy yarn with no project in mind and wait patiently for the yarn to "speak" to them. This reminds me of Michelangelo, who believed that every block of stone he carved had the statue waiting inside and that all he did was reveal it. I think I've had yarn speak to me during the knitting process, and I've definitely spoken to it. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong, or maybe my yarn and I aren't on such good terms, but it really seems to me that all I say is "please" and all it ever says is "no".

A man of talent will strive for money and reputation; but the spring that moves genius to the production of its works is not as easy to name

Katagiri Roshi says: "Poor artists. They suffer very much. They finish a masterpiece and they are not satisfied. They want to go on and do another." Yes, but it's better to go on and do another if you have the urge than to start drinking and become alcoholic or eat a pound of good fudge and get fat.

Some people say talent is energy and that's a very interesting way of thinking about it. In other words, people with talent have a lot of energy.

Hunger is the handmaid of genius.

Poverty is the step-mother of genius.

In my mind, I'm doing everything, but in reality, I'm doing very, very little. You come up with one idea, one moment, one line that leads to something and you feel like it's easy. And then, you sit back and think there would be no show without that.

That adage about genius being 5 percent inspiration and 95 perspiration - it's true.