When it aims to express a love of the world it refuses to conceal the many reasons why the world is hard to love, though we must love it because we have no other, and to fail to love it is not to exist at all.
Mark Van DorenRead
It’s a curious thing. I suppose most people think of artists as impatient but I don’t know of any first-rate artist who hasn’t manifested in his career an appalling patience, a willingness to wait and to do his best now in the expectation that next year he will do better.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True artists exhibit remarkable patience and dedication, working towards continuous improvement over time.
This quote by Mark Van Doren emphasizes the misconception that artists are inherently impatient. Instead, he argues that exceptional artists display significant patience throughout their careers, believing in the value of hard work and the promise of future growth and improvement in their craft. This dedication allows them to produce their best work with the understanding that mastery is a gradual process.
Themes
PatienceArtImprovementDedicationGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
During an art class, one might use this quote to inspire students to be patient with their development.
More from Mark Van Doren
All quotes →Any piece of knowledge I acquire today has a value at this moment exactly proportional to my skill to deal with it. Tomorrow, when I know more, I recall that piece of knowledge and use it better.
Mark Van DorenRead
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