Art is, for me, the process of trying to wake up the soul. Because we live in an industrialized, fast-paced world that prefers that the soul remain asleep.
Bill ViolaRead
A lot of what making art is, is just being open, and empty. And putting yourself in the right place for things to, literally, come together.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Creating art involves being receptive and allowing inspirations to flow in.
This quote by Bill Viola emphasizes the importance of openness and emptiness in the artistic process. It suggests that artists must create an environment for inspiration, allowing ideas and creativity to converge naturally, rather than forcing the process.
Themes
ArtCreativityOpennessInspirationExpression
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an art class to inspire students about the creative process.
More from Bill Viola
All quotes →You are just as qualified as any expert to make a judgment and have a feeling or a response to any work of art.
Bill ViolaRead
Art has always had as its test in the long term the ability to speak to our innermost selves.
Bill ViolaRead
The fundamental aspect of video is not the image, even though you can stand in amazement at what can be done electronically, how images can be manipulated and the really extraordinary creative possibilities. For me the essential basis of video is the movement - something that exists at the moment and changes in the next moment.
Bill ViolaRead
Similar quotes
Life and people are complex. A writer as an artist doesn't have the personality of a politician. We don't see the world that simply.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
Cubism was an attack on the perspective that had been known and used for 500 years. It was the first big, big change. It confused people: they said, 'Things don't look like that!'
David HockneyRead
Whenever you listen to a piece of music, what you are actually doing is hearing the latest sentence in a very long story you’ve been listening to - all the pieces of music you’ve ever heard.
Brian EnoRead
Most people think I paint fast. I paint very slowly.
Claude MonetRead
Often, especially young artists, you feel like you should be doing something. And I think that can be very destructive because creativity is about connecting with the stuff that's deep inside you and making something out of that.
Max RichterRead
Every artist is an unhappy lover. And unhappy lovers want to tell their story.
Iris MurdochRead