There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.. No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others .Martha Graham
About This Quote
The quote above is a perfect example of a "Zen" approach to life. The point is not to be happy, but to find happiness in the doing. In other words, you can't fake it. You must keep your mind and spirit open even when things get challenging.
In order for you to get results, you must remain committed to your goals and your goals must remain flexible. Doing the same thing over and over again will not yield the same results each time. You must always be willing to change and embrace new ideas and practices if they will help you advance in your craft.
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- Any fool can be happy. It takes a man with real heart to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep.
- Art and love are the same thing: It’s the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you.
- There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.
More Quotes By Martha Graham
- All that is important is this one moment in movement. Make the moment important, vital, and worth living. Do not let it slip away unnoticed and unused.
- I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or...
- There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.
- I have heard stories that it was love at first sight for both of us, that we disappeared to a guest room at Merle's house, had our meals sent up, and didn't emerge for several days. This is absolutely untrue. I would never behave like...
- There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, 
and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. 
And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and...