--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that's the core of black…" description: "\"I think that's the core of black aesthetics: the ability to improvise. That is what has enabled our [black people's] survival.\" — August Wilson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/august-wilson-3646_ability_i-think-that-s-the-core-of-black-aesthet_2016951.png" --- # I think that's the core of black aesthetics: the ability… ![“I think that's the core of black aesthetics: the ability to improvise. That is what has enabled our [black people's] survival.” quote by August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/august-wilson-3646_ability_i-think-that-s-the-core-of-black-aesthet_2016951.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/august-wilson-3646_ability_i-think-that-s-the-core-of-black-aesthet_2016951.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/august-wilson-3646_ability_i-think-that-s-the-core-of-black-aesthet_2016951.png) > “I think that's the core of black aesthetics: the ability to improvise. That is what has enabled our \[black people's\] survival.” [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Black aesthetics rely on improvisation, a skill that has historically enabled Black communities to survive and thrive. **In simple terms:** Improvisation is key to Black cultural survival. Key Takeaway Embrace improvisational creativity. Themes culture survival improvisation art history Mood reflective empowering Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - theatre productions - community workshops - educational curricula - artistic collaborations Key Concepts resilience creative adaptation social commentary Questions to Reflect On - How does improvisation foster resilience? - In what ways can improvisation be taught? A Different Perspective Improvisation may be constrained by external pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Aesthetics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetics/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“It might seem a contradiction but... the ability to improvise requires lots of practice. Ask any jazz musician.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-agon/it-might-seem-a-contradiction-but-the-ability-to-improvise-requires/) [Ted Agon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-agon/) > [That makes classical music work, the ability to improvise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itzhak-perlman/that-makes-classical-music-work-the-ability-to-improvise/) [Itzhak Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itzhak-perlman/) > [I have a great ability to improvise verbally and I am very funny on a dime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-braverman/i-have-a-great-ability-to-improvise-verbally-and-i-am-very-funny-on-a/) [Kate Braverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-braverman/) > [The goal is to align with your core group of collaborators, who understand your vision and aesthetics. I usually show them visual material of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-forster/the-goal-is-to-align-with-your-core-group-of-collaborators-who/) [Marc Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-forster/) > [Game mechanics are the core of what a game truly is. They are the interactions and relationships that remain when all of the aesthetics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-schell/game-mechanics-are-the-core-of-what-a-game-truly-is-they-are-the/) [Jesse Schell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-schell/) > [What comes forth from you as an artist cannot be controlled. But you have responsibilities as a global citizen. Your history dictates your duty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/what-comes-forth-from-you-as-an-artist-cannot-be-controlled-but-you/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [When I first started writing plays I couldn't write good dialogue because I didn't respect how black people talked. I thought that in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/when-i-first-started-writing-plays-i-couldn-t-write-good-dialogue/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [ \[Alexei Nemov\] has the best feel for the aesthetics of the sport. He doesn't just do a skill; he makes it look gorgeous. Some… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vidmar/alexei-nemov-has-the-best-feel-for-the-aesthetics-of-the-sport-he/) [Peter Vidmar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vidmar/) > [“No man sings as beautifully as when his song is accompanied by a woman’s voice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/no-man-sings-as-beautifully-as-when-his-song-is-accompanied-by-a/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [Road cycling, especially up mountains. It's the heady mixture of endorphins and aesthetics that I love. 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Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [As a result of reading science fiction when I was eight, I grew up with an interest in music, architecture, city planning, transportation, politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/as-a-result-of-reading-science-fiction-when-i-was-eight-i-grew-up/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by August Wilson > [Most of black America is in housing projects, without jobs, living on welfare. And this is not the case in 'The Cosby Show,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/most-of-black-america-is-in-housing-projects-without-jobs-living-on/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I just write stuff down and pile it up, and when I get enough stuff, I spread it out and look at it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-just-write-stuff-down-and-pile-it-up-and-when-i-get-enough-stuff-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I don't look at our society today too much. 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It was at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/scripts-were-rather-scarce-in-1968-we-did-a-lot-of-amiri-baraka-s/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/all-you-need-in-the-world-is-love-and-laughter-that-s-all-anybody/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I ain't never found no place for me to fit. Seem like all I do is start over. It ain't nothing to find no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-ain-t-never-found-no-place-for-me-to-fit-seem-like-all-i-do-is/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience-i-work-as-an-artist-and-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I dont write particularly to effect social change. I believe writing can do that, but thats not why I write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-dont-write-particularly-to-effect-social-change-i-believe-writing/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [“Don't try and go through life worrying about if somebody like you or not. You best be making sure they doing right by you,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/don-t-try-and-go-through-life-worrying-about-if-somebody-like-you-or/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Suffice it to say, I'm not poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/suffice-it-to-say-i-m-not-poor/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) [Explore all 124 August Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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