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On Creativity & Art Vocabulary
Insights about the creative process and artistic expression
8 words
All 8 Words
Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth
Fiction and imagination reveal deeper truths than facts alone
“Picasso on how art transcends literal representation.”
Less is more
Simplicity and restraint can be more powerful than excess
“Mies van der Rohe's minimalist architectural principle.”
Good artists copy; great artists steal
True originality transforms influences into something new
“Make your influences so deeply your own they become original.”
Form follows function
Design should be determined by purpose, not decoration
“Sullivan's principle: let the use dictate the shape.”
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free
The artist reveals what is already there, rather than creating from nothing
“Michelangelo on sculpture as discovery, not invention.”
Poetry is what gets lost in translation
The essence of language cannot survive transfer to another tongue
“Frost on the untranslatable music of the original.”
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance
Art seeks the essence, not the surface
“Aristotle on art as revelation of deeper truth.”
Creativity is intelligence having fun
Playfulness and intellect combine in creative work
“Often attributed to Einstein on the joy of discovery.”
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