“A poet is a man who manages, in a lifetime of standing out in thunderstorms, to be struck by lightning five or six times.”
What this quote means
Artur Lundkvist compares the poet to a man who exposes himself to life's storms to be struck by the lightning of inspiration, but only five or six times. This evokes the rarity of moments of creative genius and the necessity of perseverance. The poet does not seek ease but intensity, and accepts that flashes are rare. This quote resonates with any creator who understands that a masterpiece is the fruit of long exposure.
How to apply it daily
Spend time today on your art or passion, even without inspiration, for it is by exposing yourself that lightning may strike.
Continue
Related quotes
Same author or same theme — keep reading.
“The real price of everything, what everything really costs to the man who wants to acquire it, is the toil and trouble of acquiring it.”Create visual
“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.”Create visual
“The propensity to truck, barter and exchange one thing for another is common to all men, and to be found in no other race of animals.”Create visual
“An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.”Create visual
“The best time to plan a book is while you're doing the dishes.”Create visual
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”Create visual