It is in order to really see, to see ever deeper, ever more intensely, hence to be fully aware and alive, that I draw what the Chinese call 'The Ten Thousand Things' around me. Drawing is the discipline by which I constantly rediscover the world. I have learned that what I have not drawn, I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle.
Interpretation
Drawing helps one to truly see and appreciate the world in a deeper way.
In this quote, Frederick Franck emphasizes the transformative power of drawing as a means of perception. He suggests that through the disciplined act of drawing, one not only gains a deeper awareness of their surroundings but also discovers the extraordinary beauty in ordinary things, which often goes unnoticed. This process of artistic creation allows for a fuller engagement with the world, presenting it as a miraculous experience.
In practice
In an art class, to inspire students to explore the deeper meanings behind their surroundings.
We do not evaluate the result but the starting point of the creative process. Precisely, this shows whether the form was discovered by starting from life, or for its own sake. That is why I consider the creative process so essential. Life for us is the decisive factor.
For me, the glory of my first 25 years as a writer was I could put things off as long as I wanted.
In order to acquire a growing and lasting respect in society, it is a good thing, if you possess great talent, to give, early in your youth, a very hard kick to the right shin of the society that you love. After that, be a snob.
Willows whiten, aspens quiver, little breezes dusk and shiver, thro' the wave that runs forever by the island in the river, flowing down to Camelot. Four gray walls and four gray towers, overlook a space of flowers, and the silent isle imbowers, the Lady of Shalott.
I love music, I've always done music, felt it on a spiritual level and I write for myself and not anybody else.
The impulse to write things down is a peculiarly compulsive one, inexplicable to those who do not share it, useful only accidentally, only secondarily, in the way that any compulsion tries to justify itself. I suppose that it begins or does not begin in the cradle.
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