On Inspiration

And why it might actually be “for amateurs”.

Chuck Close, one of the greatest painters of the 20th century, famously said, “Inspiration is for amateurs.” It’s a good quote. Catchy. Short. To the point. It’s easy to see why artists often share it. But it’s not the full quote. This is:

“Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.”

I couldn’t agree more. So let’s talk about inspiration—and whether or not it exists at all.