--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The preliminaries were out of the way…" description: "\"The preliminaries were out of the way, the creative process was about to begin. The creative process, that mystic life force, that splurge out of which..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/cornell-woolrich-2734_cathedrals_the-preliminaries-were-out-of-the-way-th_1684657.jpg" --- # The preliminaries were out of the way, the creative… ![“The preliminaries were out of the way, the creative process was about to begin. The creative process, that mystic life force, that splurge out of which has come the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, the Fantasie Impromptu, the Bayeux tapestries, Romeo and Juliet, the windows of Chartres Cathedral…” quote by Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/cornell-woolrich-2734_cathedrals_the-preliminaries-were-out-of-the-way-th_1684657.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/cornell-woolrich-2734_cathedrals_the-preliminaries-were-out-of-the-way-th_1684657.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/cornell-woolrich-2734_cathedrals_the-preliminaries-were-out-of-the-way-th_1684657.jpg) > “The preliminaries were out of the way, the creative process was about to begin. The creative process, that mystic life force, that splurge out of which has come the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, the Fantasie Impromptu, the Bayeux tapestries, Romeo and Juliet, the windows of Chartres Cathedral, Paradise Lost - and a pulp murder story by Dan Moody. The process is the same in all; if the results are a little uneven, that doesn't invalidate the basic similarity of origin.” [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative spark is a universal force that produces great art across mediums, despite uneven outcomes. **In simple terms:** Creativity is a shared, mysterious energy. Key Takeaway Trust the process, accept imperfections. Themes creativity artistic process universality Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing - painting - music - architecture - literature Key Concepts mystic force inspiration artistic output Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your creative spark? - How do you handle uneven results? A Different Perspective Uneven results can discourage creators. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cathedrals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cathedrals/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) [Juliet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/juliet/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moody/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Mystic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystic/) [Paradise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradise/) [Paradise Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradise-lost/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Tapestry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tapestry/) [Venus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venus/) [Venus de milo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venus-de-milo/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“I spent all day wandering up and down the hallways, staring at the Mona Lisa and Canova’s 'Psyche and Cupid' and the 'Venus de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/i-spent-all-day-wandering-up-and-down-the-hallways-staring-at-the/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“The Mona Lisa, the Mona Lisa…Leonardo had eye trouble…Art couldn't explain it…But now we're safe, since science can explain it. Maybe Milton wrote Paradise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gaddis/the-mona-lisa-the-mona-lisa-leonardo-had-eye-trouble-art-couldn-t/) [William Gaddis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gaddis/) > [It's very hard to teach someone how to write a song if to begin with there's no creative crop to harvest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mann/it-s-very-hard-to-teach-someone-how-to-write-a-song-if-to-begin-with/) [Barry Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mann/) > [In order to be creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative…A lot of habitually creative people have preparation rituals linked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/in-order-to-be-creative-you-have-to-know-how-to-prepare-to-be/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [“most 3D printer artists use the tech to create their visions to perfection. You just take existing things and mess with them. It’s like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-livingston/most-3d-printer-artists-use-the-tech-to-create-their-visions-to/) [Alex Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-livingston/) > [“that if one is intent on colorizing a film like Casablanca one may as well add arms to the Venus de Milo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-isenberg/that-if-one-is-intent-on-colorizing-a-film-like-casablanca-one-may-as/) Noah Isenberg > [She resembles the Venus de Milo: she is very old, has no teeth, and has white spots on her yellow skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/she-resembles-the-venus-de-milo-she-is-very-old-has-no-teeth-and-has/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Venus de Milo. To a child she is ugly. When a mind adjusts to thinking of her as a completeness, even though, by physiologic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/venus-de-milo-to-a-child-she-is-ugly-when-a-mind-adjusts-to-thinking/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [I've always found paintings of nudes depressing because they can't compete with photographs. The grainiest photograph of some girl, a blurry Polaroid - you'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-currin/i-ve-always-found-paintings-of-nudes-depressing-because-they-can-t/) [John Currin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-currin/) > [“Beauty! Wasn't that what mattered? Beauty was hardly a popular ideal at that jumpy moment in history. The masses had been desensitized to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/beauty-wasn-t-that-what-mattered-beauty-was-hardly-a-popular-ideal-at/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [There's only one woman I know of who could never be a symphony conductor, and that's the Venus de Milo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hillis/there-s-only-one-woman-i-know-of-who-could-never-be-a-symphony/) Margaret Hillis > [The song Venus de Milo, the whole subject of it is Love is a drug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/the-song-venus-de-milo-the-whole-subject-of-it-is-love-is-a-drug/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [Talking pictures are like putting lip rouge on the Venus de Milo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pickford/talking-pictures-are-like-putting-lip-rouge-on-the-venus-de-milo/) [Mary Pickford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pickford/) > [Alexandros of Antioch took a block of marble and chiseled away from it everything that was not his masterpiece, the Venus de Milo. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/alexandros-of-antioch-took-a-block-of-marble-and-chiseled-away-from/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [When archaeologists discover the missing arms of Venus de Milo, they will find she was wearing boxing gloves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrymore/when-archaeologists-discover-the-missing-arms-of-venus-de-milo-they/) [John Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrymore/) ## More by Cornell Woolrich > [“He should have caught up with me inside of fifteen minutes at the outside, if he'd been able to get on the next train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-should-have-caught-up-with-me-inside-of-fifteen-minutes-at-the/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Home? What is home? Home is where a house is that you come back to when the rainy season is about to begin, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/home-what-is-home-home-is-where-a-house-is-that-you-come-back-to-when/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Gates got up, but not fast or jerkily, with the same slowness that had always characterized him. He wiped the sweat off his palms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/gates-got-up-but-not-fast-or-jerkily-with-the-same-slowness-that-had/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“As the bartender struck a match to light her cigarette, she put her hand on his wrist to steady it. Travis saw him jump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/as-the-bartender-struck-a-match-to-light-her-cigarette-she-put-her/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“That was enough dialogue for a few pages - he had to get into some fast, red-hot action. There weren't any more hitches now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/that-was-enough-dialogue-for-a-few-pages-he-had-to-get-into-some-fast/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Murder is such an elastic term, isn't it? ("Mind Over Murder")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/murder-is-such-an-elastic-term-isn-t-it-mind-over-murder/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“She was beautiful, only hers was the dark beauty of night, just as Sherry's was the bright beauty of daytime. Her hair was raven-black,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/she-was-beautiful-only-hers-was-the-dark-beauty-of-night-just-as/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And I still say it was just a coincidence;' he muttered pugnaciously. 'You say it too! Look at me and say it! It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-i-still-say-it-was-just-a-coincidence-he-muttered-pugnaciously/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“And then finally she came - and the whole world faded out around us and we were just alone on the crowded sidewalk. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/and-then-finally-she-came-and-the-whole-world-faded-out-around-us-and/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“One of the two owners, the man who had been sitting in the front room, was stretched out in there asleep, stockinged-toes pointed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/one-of-the-two-owners-the-man-who-had-been-sitting-in-the-front-room/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“But that's the Way, and there is no other. And once his mind's made up, the trembling and aimless walking stops, and he can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/but-that-s-the-way-and-there-is-no-other-and-once-his-mind-s-made-up/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“He just lingers long enough to see his plane put to bed properly, then grabs a cab at the airport-gate. "The Settlement" and forgetting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/he-just-lingers-long-enough-to-see-his-plane-put-to-bed-properly-then/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“There was a pause, while I fought against this other, lesser kind of death that was creeping over me - this death called strangeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/there-was-a-pause-while-i-fought-against-this-other-lesser-kind-of/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Every life is a mystery. And every story of every life is a mystery. But it is not what happens that is the mystery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/every-life-is-a-mystery-and-every-story-of-every-life-is-a-mystery/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“Evans made himself their spokesman. "Charlie and Joe," he offered. "Remember us? We brought a friend back with us this time." Girls evidently didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/evans-made-himself-their-spokesman-charlie-and-joe-he-offered/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) [Explore all 152 Cornell Woolrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) ## More Cathedrals quotes > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Even if you tried to extinguish your personality, what is left in the story will reflect it, perhaps by its negation. Our lives provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/even-if-you-tried-to-extinguish-your-personality-what-is-left-in-the/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-will-live-to-see-the-day-that-st-patrick-s-cathedral-is-a-child/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [Nothing is more urgent than a serious, dare I say compassionate, debate as to where we are going at home and abroad. Technicians cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/nothing-is-more-urgent-than-a-serious-dare-i-say-compassionate-debate/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [You can’t bring an unwritten place to life without losing something substantial. Manila is the cradle, the graveyard, the memory. The Mecca, the Cathedral,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/you-can-t-bring-an-unwritten-place-to-life-without-losing-something/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [My icons do not raise up the blessed savior in elaborate cathedrals. They are constructed concentrations celebrating barren rooms. They bring a limited light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-flavin/my-icons-do-not-raise-up-the-blessed-savior-in-elaborate-cathedrals/) [Dan Flavin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-flavin/) > [Her father had taught her about hands. About a dog's paws. Whenever her father was alone with a dog in a house he would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/her-father-had-taught-her-about-hands-about-a-dog-s-paws-whenever-her/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [Most buildings, whether they're Gothic cathedrals or Romanesque ones, were high tech for their time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rogers/most-buildings-whether-they-re-gothic-cathedrals-or-romanesque-ones/) [Richard Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rogers/) > [Many men build as cathedrals are built-the part nearest the ground finished, but that part which soars toward heaven, the turrets and the spires,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/many-men-build-as-cathedrals-are-built-the-part-nearest-the-ground/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“I believe that love is better than hate. And that there is more nobility in building a chicken coop than in destroying a cathedral.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-that-love-is-better-than-hate-and-that-there-is-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If theory is the role of the architect, then such beautiful proofs are the role of the craftsman. Of course, as with the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/if-theory-is-the-role-of-the-architect-then-such-beautiful-proofs-are/) [Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/) > [“Cathedrals are to be adored until the day when, to preserve them, it would be necessary to deny the truths which they teach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/cathedrals-are-to-be-adored-until-the-day-when-to-preserve-them-it/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Our respect for the dead, when they are just dead, is something wonderful, and the way we show it more wonderful still. We show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/our-respect-for-the-dead-when-they-are-just-dead-is-something/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [ \[Rumi\] is trying to get us to feel the vastness of our true identity... like the sense you might get walking into a cathedral... ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleman-barks/rumi-is-trying-to-get-us-to-feel-the-vastness-of-our-true-identity/) [Coleman Barks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleman-barks/) [Browse all 260 Cathedrals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cathedrals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The preliminaries were out of the way, the creative process was about to begin. 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