The way to see what looks good and understand the reasons it looks good, and to be at one with this goodness as the work proceeds, is to cultivate an inner quietness, a peace of mind so that goodness can shine through.
Robert M. PirsigRead
You want to know how to paint a perfect painting? It's easy. Make yourself perfect and then just paint naturally.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that achieving perfection in art comes from self-improvement and authenticity.
Robert M. Pirsig emphasizes that the essence of creating perfect art lies not in technical skills alone but in personal growth and authenticity. By striving for personal perfection, an artist can express themselves genuinely, leading to naturally beautiful creations. This perspective places the focus on the artist's inner development as the foundation for their work.
Themes
ArtPerfectionAuthenticitySelf-ImprovementCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth and creativity.
More from Robert M. Pirsig
All quotes βWhen analytic thought, the knife, is applied to experience, something is always killed in the process.
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The Buddha resides as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain.
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It's better not to see than to see wrongly.
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The truth knocks on the door and you say, go away, I'm looking for the truth, and it goes away. Puzzling.
Robert M. PirsigRead
This inner peace of mind occurs on three levels of understanding. Physical quietness seems the easiest to achieve, although there are levels and levels of this too, as attested by the ability of Hindu mystics to live buried alive for many days. Mental quietness, in which one has no wandering thoughts at all, seems more difficult, but can be achieved. But value quietness, in which one has no wandering desires at all but simply performs the acts of his life without desire, that seems the hardest.
Robert M. PirsigRead
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