It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
Art is action. The way I live my life to its highest degree is by writing, the practice of art.
Interpretation
Art is not just a product but a way of living and expressing oneself.
In this quote, Ursula K. Le Guin emphasizes that art is intertwined with daily actions and decisions, suggesting that the true essence of living fully is found in the practice and expression of one's creativity, particularly through writing. For Le Guin, engaging in artistic practice elevates life to its fullest potential, making art a fundamental aspect of existence rather than a mere hobby or profession.
In practice
In a motivational speech about creativity and living authentically.
It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
In reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it. Finally, when we're done with it, we may find - if it's a good novel - that we're a bit different from what we were before we read it, that we have changed a little... But it's very hard to say just what we learned, how we were changed.
Reason is a faculty far larger than mere objective force. When either the political or the scientific discourse announces itself as the voice of reason, it is playing God, and should be spanked and stood in the corner.
The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.
We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.
When he found that the administrators were upset, he laughed. βDo they expect students not to be anarchists?β he said. βWhat else can the young be? When you are on the bottom, you must organize from the bottom up
Artistic vision comes from a mind clear enough to fall in love with what we see.
We have that illusion that we are 'deciding' what to make a character do, in order to 'convey our message' or something like that. But, at least in my experience, you are often more like a river-rafting guide who's been paid a bonus to purposely steer your clients into the roughest possible water.
Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason.
The most original thing a writer can do is write like himself. It is also his most difficult task.
The crown of literature is poetry. It is its end and aim. It is the sublimest activity of the human mind. It is the achievement of beauty and delicacy. The writer of prose can only step aside when the poet passes.
I've heard some writers say things like, 'Well, I'm a professional writer. I only start books I know I can finish.' I look at it maybe the other way: I only want to write books I'm not sure I can write.
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