“Inspiration demands the active cooperation of the intellect joined with enthusiasm, and it is under such conditions that marvelous conceptions, with all that is excellent and divine, come into being.” InspirationConditionsDivineDemandIntellectActiveEnthusiasmExcellentConceptionCooperationMarvelous Author:Giorgio Vasari
“And thus, in full, there are four classes: the men who feel nothing, and therefore see truly; the men who feel strongly, think weakly, and see untruly (second order of poets); the men who feel strongly, think strongly, and see truly (first order of poets); and the men who, strong as human creatures can be, are yet submitted to influences stronger than they, and see in a sort untruly, because what they see is inconceivably above them. This last is the usual condition of prophetic inspiration.” ThinkingMenFeelsFirstsHumansInspirationLastsOrderStrongClassFourInfluenceConditionsHe ManPoetCreaturesStrongerUsualProphetic Book:The Genius of John Ruskin: Selections from His Writings Source: The Genius of John Ruskin: Selections from His Writings
“A poet has to adapt himself, more or less consciously,to the demands of his vocation, and hence the peculiarities of poets and the condition of inspiration which many people have said is near to madness... The problem of creative writing is essentially one of concentration... a focusing of the attention in a special way.” PeopleWayWritingSaidProblemInspirationAttentionCreativeSpecialConditionsPoetDemandMadnessConcentrationVocationCreative Writing Author:Stephen Spender