Love is generally confused with dependence; but in point of fact, you can love only in proportion to your capacity for independence.
Rollo MayRead
Creativity is neither the product of neurosis nor simple talent, but an intense courageous encounter with the Gods.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Creativity arises not just from mental struggles or innate talent, but from a brave engagement with profound inspirations.
In this quote, Rollo May emphasizes that true creativity is not merely born from psychological challenges or mere skill; instead, it is a courageous interaction with something greater, often signified as the divine or the 'Gods'. This implies that the creative process requires bravery to confront deeper truths and insights that may lie beyond ordinary experience.
Themes
CreativityCourageInspirationTalentNeurosis
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a creative workshop to inspire participants to embrace the challenges they face.
More from Rollo May
All quotes βTo love means to open ourselves to the negative as well as the positive - to grief, sorrow, and disappointment as well as to joy, fulfillment, and an intensity of consciousness we did not know was possible before
Rollo MayRead
Terrorism and the whole drug scene are vivid examples of the fact that what persons abhor most of all in life is the possibility that they will not matter.
Rollo MayRead
Humor is the healthy way of feeling "distance" between one's self and the problem, a way of standing off and looking at one's problem with perspective.
Rollo MayRead
Beauty is the experience that gives us a sense of joy and a sense of peace simultaneously.
Rollo MayRead
The poet, like the lover, is a menace on the assembly line.
Rollo MayRead
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