It is right and necessary that all should have work to do which shall be worth doing and be of itself pleasant to do, and which should be done under such conditions as would make it neither over-wearisome nor over-anxious.
William MorrisRead
A man at work, making something which he feels will exist because he is working at it and wills it, is exercising the energies of his mind and soul as well as of his body. Memory and imagination help him as he works.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Creating something meaningful involves the entire being of a person, utilizing both mental and physical energies.
William Morris emphasizes the holistic nature of creativity, where a person engages not only their physical abilities but also their mental faculties—memory and imagination. This quote highlights the intrinsic connection between the act of creation and the deeper emotional and intellectual engagement of the creator, underscoring that true work is an expression of one’s will and essence.
Themes
CreativityWorkMindSoulEnergy
In practice
Example use cases
During an art workshop, one might reference this quote to inspire participants to fully immerse themselves in their creative process.
More from William Morris
All quotes →I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name.
William MorrisRead
How often it consoles me to think of barbarism once more flooding the world, and real feelings and passions, however rudimentary, taking the place of our wretched hypocrisies.
William MorrisRead
With the arrogance of youth, I determined to do no less than to transform the world with Beauty. If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on.
William MorrisRead
A good way to rid one's self of a sense of discomfort is to do something. That uneasy, dissatisfied feeling is actual force vibrating out of order; it may be turned to practical account by giving proper expression to its creative character.
William MorrisRead
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