“Inspiration is for amateurs”

Earlier this year, I read Oliver Burkeman’s “Meditations for Mortals“, and in the book, there’s a quote from the artist Chuck Close that I’ve found myself returning to. It’s been one of those quotes that keeps sneaking back into my brain when I’m trying to fall asleep, or waiting in line somewhere, or daydreaming in a faculty meeting. So, I decided to take a moment on this blog to write about it. The quote is: “Inspiration is for amateurs – the rest of us just show up and get to work.“

As a ceramics professor, I’ve seen students paralyzed by the belief that they need to wait for some magical spark of inspiration before beginning their work. They sit, staring at the clay or their sketchbook, hoping for some revolutionary idea to suddenly jump into them. I must say that I’ve also felt this in my own practice. Sometimes, I get stuck thinking and cannot seem to get started on anything. In these moments, you have to just get to work.

Close isn’t suggesting that inspiration doesn’t exist or isn’t valuable. Instead, he’s pointing out a crucial idea: that inspiration most often comes through the work itself, not before it.

As I thought more about this idea, I remembered a quote I read in Angela Duckworth’s book “Grit“. She references William James’ observation that “There is no more miserable human being than the one for whom the beginning of every bit of work must be decided anew each day.” While this is a bit dramatic, his point complements Close’s point. The agony of deciding whether to begin, waiting for the perfect moment, or the perfect idea, creates far more challenge than simply establishing a practice of showing up and starting.

When we develop routines and habits around our creative practice, we bypass the psychological friction that comes with deliberation. The ceramicist Warren Mackenzie, also quoted in “Grit,” noted that “The first 10,000 pots are difficult, and then it gets a little bit easier.” This isn’t just about technical skill – it’s about developing the mental habit of beginning without overthinking.

So, how can you get started on something today?