Krzysztof Penderecki Quotes

The how-to is all about day in, day out finding a way to feed the monster, the drive that lives inside.

I would never finish a painting if I didn't have a deadline.

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

The best thing for my creative process is a deadline.

I just write when the bell rings. I don't have time to wait for inspiration.

I'm guessing the stress of having to write for a deadline can be inspiring. Sometimes, pressure is good.

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

The great composer does not set to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working.

The most difficult thing about painting is the self-discipline. When I finish a job, I give myself a few days, but then I have to discipline myself quite fiercely if I want to do some painting that's worthwhile. Otherwise, you're just doodling. It's much easier when you're just told what you have to do.

I don't believe in writer's block. Think about it - when you were blocked in college and had to write a paper, didn't it always manage to fix itself the night before the paper was due? Writer's block is having too much time on your hands.

I think every artist needs a rule that's stupid but that helps him, like a deadline would.

A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all.

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.

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.

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

If you're waiting for inspiration, you'll wait until you're dead.

I am most drawn to writing when I have something else urgent to do.

I have a few methods that I use. One of them that kind of works but is a bit a boring is that I lock myself in the studio and I have four hours to work and come up with stuff. If nothing's sticking in four hours, then I can stop.

An author who waits for the right 'mood' will soon find that 'moods' get fewer and fewer until they cease altogether.

There's nothing an artist needs more - even more than excellent tools and stamina - than a deadline.

You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic.

Inspiration does not always precede the act of writing; it often follows it.

I procrastinate, and I push writing to the last available moment, because I don't like to settle on anything. I guess you can call it indecision or you can call it holding out for inspiration.

Inspiration and creativity, they ride right next to one anotherNot everyday are you going to wake up, the clouds are gonna part and the rays are gonna come downsometimes you gotta just get in there and force yourself to work and maybe something good will come out of it.

Only a bad artist thinks he has a good idea. A good artist does not need anything.