The Art of You Quotes

“Don't take rejection personally. Creatives should be like goldfish: have a very short memory. If it doesn't open, it's not your door. Let it go. Keep it moving. It's not rejection, it's redirection.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Paying attention is buying reality. Invest your awareness wisely.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Being an artist means trusting an inner vision that nobody else can see. When you follow your dreams instead of the crowd, it can be a lonely path. But what you gain is far greater than what you lose.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Before an artist can make good art, they must go out and experience life. Before a writer can write, they need something to write about. It’s not enough to know facts. You must know feelings – fear and forgiveness and hate and salvation and everything in between.

Some things you can’t learn in books or podcasts or documentaries. You have to walk through the fire and burn away your bias and illusions.

Say yes to the adventure of life. Find out what you’re capable of. Get lost. Go dancing. Look the devil in the eye. Fall in love. Get your heart broken. Move to a place you’ve never been before. Feel happiness so deep it makes you cry. Learn to laugh at your sorrow.

And once you have traveled and learned and loved and lost, go back home and make your art. You will know what to say, and it will be true.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“More thinking does not always lead to better solutions. Catching an idea is like catching a butterfly. It requires a delicate touch. Instead of listening to your busy mind, open your channel of intuition to become receptive to the voice of the muse.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“The act of creation (making something out of nothing) is equivalent to magic, and each person is a magician. To be alive is to be in a state of constant co-creation with the universe.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Creativity is about being an independent thinker. You don’t need tremendous talent; you just need the courage to question conventional wisdom.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Don’t judge your creativity based on external validation. Measure your creativity by the inner fulfillment of self-discovery and expression. The reward is in the process, not the results.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“The more we remain quiet and listen to nature and intuition, the more clarity and power our words will carry when we finally speak.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Art is alchemy that transmutes pain into beauty. Engaging in any creative practice is a healing modality that awakens the inner child and purges stuck energy. It’s not about being good at creativity. It’s about creativity being good for you.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Brevity is the gateway to clarity.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“The better you know yourself, the more clarity you'll have as an artist.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“If the artist cannot find the way, the way cannot be found.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Surrender is the portal.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Repetition creates habits. The more you dedicate yourself to something, the easier it becomes over time.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Anyone can become stronger, both physically and creatively.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Ideas are easy. Execution is what matters.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Every single cell in your body is in a constant state of death and regeneration. The moon moves in cycles. So do we. Don't limit yourself to being the person you have always been.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Our instinct is forged by experience. The goal is not to always succeed, the goal is to master the game, and failure is an essential lesson on the road to mastery.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Intermittent fasting is also a good way to notice the relationship between diet and consciousness.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When your only tool is the intellect, everything looks like a problem that must be solved. Creativity requires us to move from a state of alert problem-solving to a state of soft receptivity, from ego to intuition.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Intentions are the well from which we draw the water of inspiration. The deeper the well, the more water we find.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“According to the Zen monk Shunryū Suzuki, if your mind is empty it is always ready for anything. It is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“When setting an intention, consider the following questions: Why do I feel compelled to create? What are my ultimate goals? What thoughts and emotions do I want to inspire in others? What impact do I want to make on society? How do I want this project to help me grow? What magic and medicine do I wish to offer the world?”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity

“Creativity is about being an independent thinker. You don't need tremendous talent. You just need the courage to question conventional wisdom. Your life isn't a movie that you're watching; it's a game that you're playing.”
― James McCrae, The Art of You: The Essential Guidebook for Reclaiming Your Creativity