You shall create beauty not to excite the senses but to give sustenance to the soul.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of creating beauty that nourishes the spirit rather than merely appealing to the senses.
Gabriela Mistral's quote suggests that true beauty serves a deeper purpose; it is not just about superficial pleasure but rather about enriching one's inner life and providing sustenance to the soul. This perspective encourages artists and creators to focus on the emotional and spiritual impact of their work, fostering a connection that transcends mere aesthetic enjoyment.
In practice
In a speech at an art gallery opening, one might say, 'As Gabriela Mistral once stated, we create beauty to nourish the soul, inspiring us all.'
I write poetry because I can’t disobey the impulse; it would be like blocking a spring that surges up in my throat. For a long time I’ve been the servant of the song that comes, that appears and can’t be buried away. How to seal myself up now?…It no longer matters to me who receives what I submit. What I carry out is, in that respect, greater and deeper than I, I am merely the channel.
Now my belly is as noble as my heart.
Many things can wait. Children cannot. Today their bones are being formed, their blood is being made, their senses are being developed. To them we cannot say "tomorrow." Their name is today.
Many things we need can wait. The child cannot. Now is the time his bones are formed, his mind developed. To him we cannot say tomorrow, his name is today.
All writers of fiction will at some point find themselves abandoning a piece of work - or find themselves putting it aside, as we gently say.
I can only think of music as something inherent in every human being - a birthright. Music coordinates mind, body and spirit.
The most extraordinary discoveries are made when the artist is overwhelmed by what he has to say.
It was an unwritten law that black comics were not permitted to work white nightclubs. You could sing and you could dance, but you couldn't stand flat-footed and talk; that was a no-no.
Designers may be the true intellectuals of the future.
My wedding dress is a piece of art that I'll treasure forever. It was designed and created by Zac Posen. I gave him only the tiniest bit of direction when he started, and the end product was more beautiful than anything I could have imagined.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.