11/12/2013 11:38 Charles Bukowski on the Ideal Conditions and Myths of Creativity, Illustrated | Brain Pickings Page 1 of 9 http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/10/04/charles-bukowski-air-and-light-and-time-and-space/ Search about support contact bookshelf newsletter literary jukebox sounds art newsletter Brain Pickings has a free weekly interestingness digest. It comes out on Sundays and offers the week's best articles. Here's an example . Like? Sign up. Name Email subscribe donating = loving Brain Pickings remains ad- free and takes hundreds of hours a month to research and write, and thousands of dollars to sustain. If you find any joy and value in it, please consider becoming a Member and supporting with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of tea and a good dinner: ♥ $7 / month You can also become a one- time patron with a single donation in any amount: Charles Bukowski on the Ideal Conditions and Myths of Creativity, Illustrated by Maria Popova “Air and light and time and space have nothing to do with it and don’t create anything except maybe a longer life to find new excuses for.” Charles Bukowski — man of outrageous daily routine, curious creature of proud cynicism and self-conscious sensitivity, occasional pessimist with a heartening view of the meaning of life — had a singular way of conveying immutable wisdom in his seemingly simple, often crude, but invariably expressive verses. His 1992 poem “air and light and time and space,” found in the altogether fantastic anthology The Last Night of the Earth Poems, is a poignant and soulful reminder that “inspiration is for amateurs” and grit is the real key to creativity — or, as Tchaikovsky famously put it, “a self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood..” AIR AND LIGHT AND TIME AND SPACE ”– you know, I’ve either had a family, a job, something has always been in the way but now I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this place, a large studio, you should see the space and the light . for the first time in my life I’m going to have a place and the time to create .” no baby, if you’re going to create you’re going to create whether you work 16 hours a day in a coal mine or you’re going to create in a small room with 3 children while you’re on
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11/12/2013 11:38Charles Bukowski on the Ideal Conditions and Myths of Creativity, Illustrated | Brain Pickings
Page 1 of 9http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/10/04/charles-bukowski-air-and-light-and-time-and-space/
Brain Pickings has a freeweekly interestingness digest.It comes out on Sundays andoffers the week's bestarticles. Here's an example.Like? Sign up.
Name
Email
subscribe
donating = loving
Brain Pickings remains ad-free and takes hundreds ofhours a month to researchand write, and thousands ofdollars to sustain. If you findany joy and value in it, pleaseconsider becoming a Memberand supporting with arecurring monthly donationof your choosing, between acup of tea and a good dinner:
♥ $7 / month
You can also become a one-time patron with a singledonation in any amount:
Charles Bukowski on the IdealConditions and Myths of Creativity,Illustratedby Maria Popova
“Air and light and time and space have nothing to dowith it and don’t create anything except maybe a longerlife to find new excuses for.”
Charles Bukowski — man of outrageous daily
routine, curious creature of proud cynicism and
self-conscious sensitivity, occasional pessimist
with a heartening view of the meaning of life —
had a singular way of conveying immutable
wisdom in his seemingly simple, often crude,
but invariably expressive verses. His 1992 poem
“air and light and time and space,” found in
the altogether fantastic anthology The Last Night
of the Earth Poems, is a poignant and soulful
reminder that “inspiration is for amateurs” and
grit is the real key to creativity — or, as
Tchaikovsky famously put it, “a self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the
pretext that he is not in the mood..”
AIR AND LIGHT AND TIME AND SPACE
”– you know, I’ve either had a family, a job,something has always been in thewaybut nowI’ve sold my house, I’ve found thisplace, a large studio, you should see the space andthe light.for the first time in my life I’m going to havea place and the time tocreate.”
no baby, if you’re going to createyou’re going to create whether you work16 hours a day in a coal mineoryou’re going to create in a small room with 3 childrenwhile you’re on
11/12/2013 11:38Charles Bukowski on the Ideal Conditions and Myths of Creativity, Illustrated | Brain Pickings
Page 2 of 9http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/10/04/charles-bukowski-air-and-light-and-time-and-space/
labors of love welfare,you’re going to create with part of your mind and your bodyblownaway,you’re going to create blindcrippleddemented,you’re going to create with a cat crawling up yourback whilethe whole city trembles in earthquake, bombardment,flood and fire.
baby, air and light and time and spacehave nothing to do with itand don’t create anythingexcept maybe a longer life to findnew excusesfor.
Now, the fine folks of Zen Pencils — who have previously illustrated such
cultural treasures as Bill Watterson’s timeless commencement address on
creative integrity have adapted Buk’s beautiful poem into one of their signature
11/12/2013 11:38Charles Bukowski on the Ideal Conditions and Myths of Creativity, Illustrated | Brain Pickings
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