The mirror is not you. The mirror is you looking at yourself.
George BalanchineRead
God creates, I do not create. I assemble and I steal everywhere to do it - from what I see, from what the dancers can do, from what others do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the idea that creativity is often about assembling existing elements rather than creating something entirely new.
In this quote, George Balanchine expresses the notion that creativity is not solely an act of invention but rather a process of gathering and reinterpreting existing ideas and inspirations. He acknowledges that artists draw from the world around them, including the talents of others and the beauty they observe, to create new works, suggesting that collaboration and influence are integral to artistic expression.
Themes
CreativityArtInspirationCollaborationDance
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about creativity in art, I quoted Balanchine to show how artists influence one another.
More from George Balanchine
All quotes βFirst comes the sweat. Then comes the beauty if you're very lucky and have said your prayers.
George BalanchineRead
I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.
George BalanchineRead
Most ballet teachers in the United States are terrible. If they were in medicine, everyone would be poisoned.
George BalanchineRead
One is born to be a dancer. No teacher can work miracles, nor will years of training make a good dancer of an untalented pupil. One may be able to acquire a certain technical facility, but no one can ever 'acquire an exceptional talent.' I have never prided myself on having an unusually gifted pupil. A Pavlova is no one's pupil but God's.
George BalanchineRead
The pointes for girls, I always say, have to be like an elephant's trunk; strong and yet flexible and soft.
George BalanchineRead
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