Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes that true art elicits emotions rather than focusing on superficial beauty.
Rainbow Rowell's quote reflects the idea that art transcends conventional beauty and instead evokes deep emotions and thoughts in the viewer. Eleanor's unique appearance is likened to art, suggesting that like art, she may not conform to societal standards of attractiveness, but has a profound impact that resonates with authenticity and raw emotion.
In practice
In a discussion about unconventional beauty in art, this quote can illustrate how deeper feelings matter more than surface appearances.
He knew why he wanted to kiss her. Because she was beautiful. And before that, because she was kind. And before that, because she was smart and funny. Because she was exactly the right kind of smart and funny. Because he could imagine taking a long trip with her without ever getting bored. Because whenever he saw something new and interesting, or new and ridiculous, he always wondered what she'd have to say about it--how many stars she'd give it and why.
It's our job as fiction writers to provide a delight that nothing else can - to such a degree that people have no choice but to read our work. Now that's a very tall order, if not impossible. But why not try?
Don't write about Man; write about a man.
Music: what so many sentences aspire to be.
The artist brain is the sensory brain: sight and sound, smell and taste, touch. These are the elements of magic, and magic is the elemental stuff of art. In filling the well, think magic. Think delight. Think fun. Do not think duty. Do not do what you should do-spiritual sit-ups like reading a dull but recommended critical text. Do what intrigues you, explore what interests you; think mystery, not mastery.
All things of beauty can speak to us of God, and I'm very happy to listen to and be inspired by people of every religious background.
Architecture is really about well-being. I think that people want to feel good in a space ... On the one hand it's about shelter, but it's also about pleasure.
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