In order to do something that seems new, you have to strip…
““In order to do something that seems new, you have to strip away everything that's traditional, take away all the things that give it its formula or its identity. You have to get everything that's normal and break it. And even then you still are at the mercy of having grown up thinking of music a particular way, and that's where the cut-up process came in, because you could then break your own perceptions and actually end up with new comprehensions that you would otherwise not have.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Creating something truly new requires dismantling existing conventions, but personal cultural conditioning still limits perception.
In simple terms: Break old rules to innovate, yet habits still shape us.
Challenge assumptions and experiment with form.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- songwriting
- visual art
- software design
- product development
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What hidden rules influence your work?
- How can you sustain novelty after the first break?
Even after breaking norms, societal expectations can re‑impose constraints.