Authors are far closer to the truths enfolded in mystery than ordinary people, because of that very audacity of imagination which irritates their plodding critics. As only those who dare to make mistakes succeed greatly, only those who shake free the wings of their imagination brush, once in a way, the secrets of the great pale world. If such writers go wrong, it is not for the mere brains to tell them so
Interpretation
This quote highlights the value of imagination and the courage to take risks in creative endeavors, suggesting that true artists understand deeper truths than others.
Gertrude Atherton's quote emphasizes the idea that authors and creators possess a unique insight into the mysteries of life due to their bold imagination. While critics may view their imaginative pursuits as reckless or ungrounded, it is precisely this audacity that allows them to explore profound truths that ordinary people may overlook. The quote also suggests that making mistakes is an integral part of the creative process, and that the exploration of imagination is a pathway to uncovering deeper meanings and insights in the world.
In practice
During a speech at a creative writing workshop, this quote could be used to encourage aspiring writers to embrace their imagination.
The word 'art' interests me very much. If it comes from Sanskrit, as I've heard, it signifies 'making.' Now everyone makes something, and those who make things on a canvas with a frame, they're called artists. Formerly, they were called craftsmen, a term I prefer. We're all craftsmen, in civilian or military or artistic life.
Each period of a civilisation creates an art that is specific in it and which we will never see reborn. To try and revive the principles of art of past centuries can lead only to the production of stillborn works.
I can come up with 30 T-shirt designs in a day, but it's just about where to slot each of them. That's streetwear to me. It's about knowing where to buy things, not this mass thing you can get anywhere.
My desire as a storyteller is to always catch the readers off guard; to give them something they aren't expecting, and take them in a direction that is satisfying in the here and non.
I went into photography because it seemed like the perfect vehicle for commenting on the madness of today's existence.
If the urge to write should ever leave me, I want that day to be my last.
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