No matter what field you’re in—be it art, writing, science, tech, or sales—coming up with creative ideas can be extremely frustrating, if not terrifying. But here’s the reassuring truth: every single creative in the history of the world has struggled with the same frustrations and fears. Fortunately, many have documented their experiences, leaving us the words we need to hear when we really feel stuck. We’ve compiled this handy list of creativity quotes from people in all different fields to help guide and inspire you—no matter where you are in the creative process.
Overcoming fear and self-doubt
Fear and self-doubt are creativity's greatest adversaries, whispering that we're not good enough, original enough, or ready enough to create. But every artist, writer, and innovator has faced these demons—and these quotes remind us that courage isn't the absence of fear, but the willingness to create despite it.
"The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." —Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath
"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." —Ken Robinson, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything
"For what matters in life is not whether we receive a round of applause; what matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainty of acclaim." —Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow
"Despite a lack of natural ability, I did have the one element necessary to all early creativity: naïveté, that fabulous quality that keeps you from knowing just how unsuited you are for what you are about to do." —Steve Martin, Born Standing Up
"Have pity on those who are fearful of taking up a pen, or a paintbrush, or an instrument, or a tool because they are afraid that someone has already done so better than they could..." —Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage
"Creativity is a path for the brave, yes, but it is not a path for the fearless, and it's important to recognize the distinction." —Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic
"The brick walls are there for a reason... to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." —Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
"Don't wait until you know who you are to get started." —Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist
The creative process and mindset
Creating isn't a neat, linear journey—it's messy, unpredictable, and often requires embracing vulnerability and chaos. Understanding how creativity actually works can help you navigate the wild terrain of bringing ideas to life and develop the mindset that allows innovation to flourish.
"To create one must be willing to be stone stupid, to sit upon a throne on top of a jackass and spill rubies from one's mouth..." —Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run with the Wolves
"The road to creativity passes so close to the madhouse and often detours or ends there." —Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death
"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star." —Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
"The creative process is a process of surrender, not control." —Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way
"That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you." —Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
"The truth is that creative activity is one that involves the entire self—our emotions, our levels of energy, our characters, and our minds." —Robert Greene, Mastery
"Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you've got to go deeper..." —David Lynch, Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity
"The creative adult is the child who survived." —Ursula K. Le Guin, The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction
"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way." —Edward de Bono, Lateral Thinking
"Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious and anything self-conscious is lousy." —Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
"Serious art is born from serious play." —Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way
Authenticity and personal expression
True creativity isn't about copying what's been done before—it's about finding your unique voice and having the courage to express it. These quotes celebrate the power of authentic self-expression and remind us that our individual perspective is exactly what the world needs.
"Don't be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth." —Rumi, The Essential Rumi
"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth... you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it." —C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
"Art and love are the same thing: It's the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you." —Chuck Klosterman, Killing Yourself to Live
"Creativity is a way of living life, no matter our vocation or how we earn our living." —Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art
The power and nature of creativity
What makes creativity so uniquely human and endlessly fascinating? These quotes explore the mysterious force that drives us to imagine, innovate, and transform abstract thoughts into tangible reality—celebrating creativity as both a fundamental human trait and an unlimited resource.
"Our species is the only creative species, and it has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit." —John Steinbeck, East of Eden
"What keeps life fascinating is the constant creativity of the soul." —Deepak Chopra, Life After Death
"That's what makes a god—or a mother. There's nothing more intoxicating than creating something from nothing." —Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl
"Nothing is more creative... nor destructive... than a brilliant mind with a purpose." —Dan Brown, Inferno
"What is now proved was once only imagined." —William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
"Imagining something is better than remembering something." —John Irving, The World According to Garp
"Keep in mind that imagination is at the heart of all innovation. Crush or constrain it and the fun will vanish." —Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, Bursts: The Hidden Pattern Behind Everything We Do
"But you can go on thinking and imagining forever... Turn your thinking into your work, your thoughts a book..." —Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Work, discipline and practice
Inspiration is wonderful, but it's disciplined practice that transforms creative dreams into reality. These quotes cut through romantic notions about creativity to reveal the essential truth: consistent work and dedication are what separate dreamers from creators.
"The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying." —Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." —Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
"Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits." —Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life
"A good-enough novel violently written now is better than a perfect novel meticulously written never." —Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic
"Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow... Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward." —Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country
"The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits..." —Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Creative environment and influences
The spaces we inhabit and the influences that surround us profoundly shape our creative output. From physical workspace to cultural exposure, these quotes highlight how environment can either nurture or stifle the creative spirit—and what conditions help creativity thrive.
"Women have sat indoors all these millions of years, so that by this time the very walls are permeated by their creative force..." —Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
"Reading, conversation, environment, culture, heroes, mentors, nature—all are lottery tickets for creativity." —Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit
"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." —Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own
"The greatest killer of creativity is interruption." —John Cleese, Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide
Purpose, impact and legacy
Why do we create? These quotes explore creativity's deeper meaning—as a force for change, a gift to humanity, and a way to leave something meaningful behind. They remind us that our creative work extends far beyond personal expression to shape the future itself.
"People like you must create. If you don't create... you will become a menace to society." —Maria Semple, Where’d You Go, Bernadette
"The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will." —Chuck Palahniuk, Diary
"Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It's a gift to the world and every being in it." —Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
"The best way to predict the future is to create it." —Peter Drucker, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
"Throughout history, people with new ideas—who think differently and try to change things—have always been called troublemakers." —Richelle Mead, Shadow Kiss
"The primary math of the real world is one and one equals two... But artists, musicians, con men, poets, mystics and such are paid to turn that math on its head..." —Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
