--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One can only improvise what one knows." description: "\"One can only improvise what one knows.\" — David Thewlis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/david-thewlis-5383_improvise_one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows-85_857103.jpg" --- # One can only improvise what one knows. ![“One can only improvise what one knows.” quote by David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/david-thewlis-5383_improvise_one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows-85_857103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/david-thewlis-5383_improvise_one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows-85_857103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/david-thewlis-5383_improvise_one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows-85_857103.jpg) > “One can only improvise what one knows.” [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improvisation is limited to existing knowledge; true innovation requires new learning. **In simple terms:** Improvisation depends on what you know. Key Takeaway Expand knowledge to improvise better. Themes learning improvisation creativity knowledge growth Mood inquisitive creative optimistic Type educational practical inspirational When to use this quote - music - theatre - innovation workshops Key Concepts education psychology arts Questions to Reflect On - What knowledge gaps limit your creativity? - How can you learn on the fly? A Different Perspective Improvisation can also spark new learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) Hubert Laws > [I love to improvise when it's appropriate and encouraged by a producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-paulsen/i-love-to-improvise-when-it-s-appropriate-and-encouraged-by-a-producer/) [Rob Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-paulsen/) > [You can actually improvise a lot as a voice actor. It's not that entirely different than shooting a live action movie; the characters mouths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/you-can-actually-improvise-a-lot-as-a-voice-actor-it-s-not-that/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [“Research tells us that brainstorming becomes more productive when it’s focused. As jazz great Charles Mingus famously said, “You can’t improvise on nothing, man;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/research-tells-us-that-brainstorming-becomes-more-productive-when-it/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [When people know the desired destination, they’re free to improvise, as needed, in arriving there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/when-people-know-the-desired-destination-they-re-free-to-improvise-as/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Don’t think, react. Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-cross/don-t-think-react-adapt-improvise-overcome/) [Ethan Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-cross/) > [My character has to be alive. It can't be a mere prop, and it has to have a life of its own. I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawad-khan/my-character-has-to-be-alive-it-can-t-be-a-mere-prop-and-it-has-to/) [Fawad Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawad-khan/) > [Improvise when obstacles present themselves. Happy accidents are magic! Have an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bonifacio/improvise-when-obstacles-present-themselves-happy-accidents-are-magic/) [Matthew Bonifacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bonifacio/) > [We play melodic music, we play songs, we play all kinds of things and when you improvise you don't just shut out different languages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/we-play-melodic-music-we-play-songs-we-play-all-kinds-of-things-and/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [So that's the challenge, you have a big technical aspect of what you're doing whilst you're creatively trying to improvise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-henson/so-that-s-the-challenge-you-have-a-big-technical-aspect-of-what-you/) [Brian Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-henson/) > [Improvisation, it is a mystery. You can write a book about it, but by the end no one still knows what it is. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephane-grappelli/improvisation-it-is-a-mystery-you-can-write-a-book-about-it-but-by/) Stephane Grappelli > [When you're at a concert and you hear someone improvise well, that's special; it puts you in the moment and takes you someplace. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-popper/when-you-re-at-a-concert-and-you-hear-someone-improvise-well-that-s/) [John Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-popper/) > [I also think if you're an actor and you can improvise, when you go on an audition and you can improvise you're just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-also-think-if-you-re-an-actor-and-you-can-improvise-when-you-go-on/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [My roots are in classical music and jazz, and I want the freedom of being able to improvise. This freedom is possible only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-sami/my-roots-are-in-classical-music-and-jazz-and-i-want-the-freedom-of/) [Adnan Sami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-sami/) > [So while you're trying to improvise, you're also trying to puppeteer, you're doing everything that you need to do to perform a puppet in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-henson/so-while-you-re-trying-to-improvise-you-re-also-trying-to-puppeteer/) [Brian Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-henson/) ## More by David Thewlis > [I don't think Alfonso was a big expert on Potter either. He was feeling his way through it more than I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-don-t-think-alfonso-was-a-big-expert-on-potter-either-he-was/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I often draw from people in my own experience to base a character on, going back to my days with Mike Leigh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-often-draw-from-people-in-my-own-experience-to-base-a-character-on/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [The very best thing about doing it is seeing the reaction on kid's faces when you tell them you've done it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/the-very-best-thing-about-doing-it-is-seeing-the-reaction-on-kid-s/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I keep myself content by doing lots of different stuff and make sure that my next role is completely different to the last. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-keep-myself-content-by-doing-lots-of-different-stuff-and-make-sure/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [Publishing a novel was such a proud thing for me. When I was a kid, I used to say to my mum and dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/publishing-a-novel-was-such-a-proud-thing-for-me-when-i-was-a-kid-i/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I'm not one of those people who's against doing remakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-m-not-one-of-those-people-who-s-against-doing-remakes/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I think the most beautiful sound is a child laughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-think-the-most-beautiful-sound-is-a-child-laughing/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I'd only read a bit of the first book. And I just knew about all the media furor over it. But I'd not read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-d-only-read-a-bit-of-the-first-book-and-i-just-knew-about-all-the/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I was still listening to the Beatles until I came here, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-was-still-listening-to-the-beatles-until-i-came-here-you-know/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I was a young actor in my 20s, going out in Soho, having a wild time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-was-a-young-actor-in-my-20s-going-out-in-soho-having-a-wild-time/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I started doing the big Hollywood stuff, and I realised, 'Oh, there's no rehearsal at all; you just turn up on the set, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-started-doing-the-big-hollywood-stuff-and-i-realised-oh-there-s-no/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [“I feel like I'm in a film about a struggling artist who keeps getting up at all hours of the night to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-feel-like-i-m-in-a-film-about-a-struggling-artist-who-keeps-getting/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [Restoration I did because I really loved e novel and I like Michael Hoffman, who directed it, but it wasn't a really challenging part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/restoration-i-did-because-i-really-loved-e-novel-and-i-like-michael/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [It wasn't the greatest script in the world, but not many people can say they've played a wicked king in a swashbuckling Arthurian special-effects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/it-wasn-t-the-greatest-script-in-the-world-but-not-many-people-can/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [I don't think its good for the soul to invest too much of yourself in technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-don-t-think-its-good-for-the-soul-to-invest-too-much-of-yourself-in/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) [Explore all 101 David Thewlis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) ## More Improvise quotes > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) Hubert Laws > [My roots are in classical music and jazz, and I want the freedom of being able to improvise. This freedom is possible only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-sami/my-roots-are-in-classical-music-and-jazz-and-i-want-the-freedom-of/) [Adnan Sami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-sami/) > [I also think if you're an actor and you can improvise, when you go on an audition and you can improvise you're just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-also-think-if-you-re-an-actor-and-you-can-improvise-when-you-go-on/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [When you're at a concert and you hear someone improvise well, that's special; it puts you in the moment and takes you someplace. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-popper/when-you-re-at-a-concert-and-you-hear-someone-improvise-well-that-s/) [John Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-popper/) > [Improvisation, it is a mystery. You can write a book about it, but by the end no one still knows what it is. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephane-grappelli/improvisation-it-is-a-mystery-you-can-write-a-book-about-it-but-by/) Stephane Grappelli > [So that's the challenge, you have a big technical aspect of what you're doing whilst you're creatively trying to improvise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-henson/so-that-s-the-challenge-you-have-a-big-technical-aspect-of-what-you/) [Brian Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-henson/) > [We play melodic music, we play songs, we play all kinds of things and when you improvise you don't just shut out different languages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/we-play-melodic-music-we-play-songs-we-play-all-kinds-of-things-and/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [Improvise when obstacles present themselves. Happy accidents are magic! Have an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bonifacio/improvise-when-obstacles-present-themselves-happy-accidents-are-magic/) [Matthew Bonifacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bonifacio/) > [My character has to be alive. It can't be a mere prop, and it has to have a life of its own. I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawad-khan/my-character-has-to-be-alive-it-can-t-be-a-mere-prop-and-it-has-to/) [Fawad Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawad-khan/) > [“Don’t think, react. Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-cross/don-t-think-react-adapt-improvise-overcome/) [Ethan Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-cross/) > [When people know the desired destination, they’re free to improvise, as needed, in arriving there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/when-people-know-the-desired-destination-they-re-free-to-improvise-as/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Research tells us that brainstorming becomes more productive when it’s focused. As jazz great Charles Mingus famously said, “You can’t improvise on nothing, man;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/research-tells-us-that-brainstorming-becomes-more-productive-when-it/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [You can actually improvise a lot as a voice actor. It's not that entirely different than shooting a live action movie; the characters mouths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/you-can-actually-improvise-a-lot-as-a-voice-actor-it-s-not-that/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [I love to improvise when it's appropriate and encouraged by a producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-paulsen/i-love-to-improvise-when-it-s-appropriate-and-encouraged-by-a-producer/) [Rob Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-paulsen/) > [So while you're trying to improvise, you're also trying to puppeteer, you're doing everything that you need to do to perform a puppet in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-henson/so-while-you-re-trying-to-improvise-you-re-also-trying-to-puppeteer/) [Brian Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-henson/) Browse all 226 Improvise quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One can only improvise what one knows.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Thewlis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Improvise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/david-thewlis-5383_improvise_one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows-85_857103.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/david-thewlis-5383_improvise_one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows-85_857103.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f1/david-thewlis-5383_improvise_one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows-85_857103.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One can only improvise what one knows.” — David Thewlis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Thewlis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One can only improvise what one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/one-can-only-improvise-what-one-knows/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```