"Being an artist is much more like being a carpenter than like being God... What we do is a craft. I mean you can have a great inner talent and a lot of people do, but without craft it's very hard for the talent to emerge."
–– John Kander (b. 1927), American theatre composer
Source: Adam Moss. The Work of Art: How Something Comes From Nothing. New York: Penguin Press, 2024; p. 15.
via 2020 Aboveground Art Supplies Knapsack Sketchbook, 2024 p. 48.
"The only difference between the mystic and the artist is that the artist has a craft that ties him to the world."
–– Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), American author and professor
via: Sketchbook 28, 2016, p. 123.
"Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft. Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave you eager but floundering. Combining the two is the essence of the creative life."
–– Twyla Tharp (b. 1941), American dancer, choreographer, and writer
via: Sketchbook 19, 2012, p. 104
"If you're an artist and you want to get steadily better at your craft, you need to continually refine your approach to telling the truth."
– Willa Cather (1873-1947) Pulitzer prize winning American author
via Sketchbook 7, 2009, p. 73.
