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Things rust, you know, like the heart. My cardiologist said, 'It's a pump; use it - that's the sole advice I've got to give you.' It's the same in playwriting. Don't theorise about it. Do it.
Peter Shaffer
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Creativity and passion require action rather than overthinking.

Peter Shaffer emphasizes that just as physical things can deteriorate without use, so too can talents and passions fade if they are not actively engaged. His cardiologist's advice serves as a metaphor for creative pursuits: to not dwell too much on theory but to actively create and express oneself through art.

Themes

CreativityActionPlaywritingPassionTheory

In practice

Example use cases

In a workshop on creativity, I quoted Peter Shaffer to inspire participants to take action in their projects.

More from Peter Shaffer

Tragedy, for me, is not a conflict between right and wrong, but between two different kinds of right.
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I discover what I mean as I write. That can be both terrifically exciting and very dangerous, because when you look at your words later, you wonder, 'Did I really mean that, or am I just making verbal patterns?'
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Rehearsing a play is making the word flesh. Publishing a play is reversing the process.
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The Normal is the good smile in a child’s eyes - all right. It is also the dead stare in a million adults.
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