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3 Inspiring (and 1 Odd) Creator Quotes

“That’s a fool’s experiment. But I love fools’ experiments…”

David Epstein

Apr 12
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Today I want to experiment with something a little different, and a little shorter. Below are four quotes from creators — three relatively straightforward and (I think) inspiring. And a fourth that is unusual, and thought-provoking. I like to share lines that make me think, or feel, or inspire or challenge me, or just pique my interest.

I’d like two things from you:

First, tell me what the last quote makes you think about. You can use the comments, or, if you got this in an email, just hit reply. (If you didn’t get this in an email, you can subscribe here.)

Second, let me know if you like this quote-sharing edition of the newsletter; I’m thinking of making it a regular feature.

…To the quotes:

Three Inspiring Creator Quotes…

-Filmmaker Ethan Coen — who with his brother wrote and directed films like Fargo and No Country for Old Men — talking about why he stepped away from movies and embraced the challenge of writing a play.

-That’s Anne Tyler, Pulitzer Prize winner and one of the most-well regarded novelists of a generation. According to The Times, “Tyler regards herself as something of an accidental novelist — she began her first when she was stuck at home without a job.”

-Charles Darwin, telling a colleague why he put an unfertilized female flower under a bell jar, at a distance from pollen from a male flower, just to see if anything would happen. (As far as I know, courtship did not occur.)

…And One Odd Creator Quote

-Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, in a prize acceptance speech.

Let me know if any of those quotes sparked a thought; I'm looking forward to continuing the conversation.

If you think a friend might like one of these quotes, you can share the post using this link. (If you share it on social media, tag me!)

If you aren't subscribed to Range Widely, you can do that here.

For more wide-ranging thoughts (and occasional videos of me learning to dance), you can follow me on Instagram or Twitter. As always, thanks for reading.

Until next time…

David

[Photo by Rubberball/Mike Kemp/Getty Images]

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Comments
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29 Comments

  • Gary Keith Bayne
    Murakami: The egg and the wall: Sticky, sentimental, true. Humans: eggs belted into metal and plastic on wheels. Homebody bipedals laid upright and supine in foam pallets. We crack easily in cultural and drone and tank wars. Walls include memes fr…
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    • 5w
    • Author
      David Epstein
      Gary, this is an AWESOME comment. You have some beautiful lines... "we crack easily..." Even the variation in your meter drew me in. Did or do you write a lot?
      • 5w
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  • Matt Thomas
    Thanks for this fun and different newsletter, David! The Ethan Coen quote makes me think of your newsletter on Jhumpa Lahiri, as accomplished artists who deliberately step away from doing what they do best. I just re-read the Lahiri newsletter, and her…
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    • 5w
    • Author
      David Epstein
      Ya know I'm not sure how Jhumpa Lahiri is doing, but I know she released a full novel in Italian. I have it, but haven't read it yet. ....Separately, boy did you read Range closely. I'm impressed!! And that's a great take on the Murakami quote. I purpo…
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      • 5w
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  • Srinivas K Raman
    The Haruki Murakami quote reminded me of some notes that I had jotted down from a book called Courage to Create by Rollo May. In it he says: “Creative act is an encounter – artists encounter the subject that they paint …..Encounter with what? With the …
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    • 5w
    • Author
      David Epstein
      This post has generated the most eloquent comments, by far, of any newsletter I've ever written. I love this, Srinivas. "...it is the WORLD..." I really appreciate this note, and you reminded me of Jhumpa Lahiri when she talked about how as soon as a p…
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      • 5w
  • Vanessa Aurora Herrera
    Yes- I do like this quote-sharing edition of your newsletter.
    Thought-provoking & resonates. Plus short-and-sweet. …
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    • 5w
    • Author
      David Epstein
      Vanessa, wow, your description resonated with me. I continued competing as a runner for a year after college, and then burned out, and went "cold turkey" for a little while — no running, and thought I'd never be into it again. Like you, I eventually fo…
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      • 5w
  • Jennifer Gresham
    I am a great enjoyer and collector of quotes myself, so I like seeing what has piqued others. I say continue the trend (though I also really appreciate your longer essays, so please keep those going as well!). The Darwin quote is the one that speaks to…
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    • 5w
    • Author
      David Epstein
      Loved Loonshots. The part about phase change, when an organization goes from everyone working for survival of the whole, to everyone protecting their turf even if it dooms the whole — I realized I saw that in real time (the latter, unfortunately) at a …
      See more
      What Nobel Laureates and Elite Athletes Have in Common
      DAVIDEPSTEIN.BULLETIN.COM
      What Nobel Laureates and Elite Athletes Have in Common
      What Nobel Laureates and Elite Athletes Have in Common
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  • Bohu Tang
    The last one is indeed odd:) It seems to me to be a unilateral view point, as each of us can also be the "high wall" for others. And that really doesn't say anything about the justification of either egg or wall. Or maybe I just don't understand it lol…
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    • Author
      David Epstein
      Bohu, I think you expertly summarized a body of work here, and I agree. ...As far as the odd quote, there's more context in the link, but I wanted to just share it as is in the hope it would stimulate unfamiliar thoughts. I really like your critique of it.
      • 5w
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  • William Murphy
    Hey David! Thanks for sharing these inspiring quotes.. I particularly liked the Ethan Coen one: "You do it because it's involving and stimulating and you like the process of doing it" this reminded me of your newsletter a couple of weeks back about enj…
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    • 5w
    • Author
      David Epstein
      William, eloquent as always. I really liked the Coen quote too, and it resonated with me deeply. The projects that have been most important to me have always been those that ignite curiosity, and I'm not even sure how self-expression would manifest. Un…
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      DAVIDEPSTEIN.BULLETIN.COM
      Meta Bulletin
      Meta Bulletin
      • 5w
  • Sean D'Souza
    Definitely this one: “People think it’s about, like, self-expression or something, and it’s not about that. You do it because it’s involving and stimulating and you like the process of doing it.”
    Without a doubt.
    • 5w
    • Author
      David Epstein
      That resonated deeply for me.
      2
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