--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actual creativeness is a matter of…" description: "\"Actual creativeness is a matter of moments. One has to piece together the minute grains to make a lump. And it is so easy to miss the momentary flashes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/eric-hoffer-343_creativeness_actual-creativeness-is-a-matter-of-momen_455199.jpg" --- # Actual creativeness is a matter of moments. One has to… ![“Actual creativeness is a matter of moments. One has to piece together the minute grains to make a lump. And it is so easy to miss the momentary flashes, it is like sluicing in placer mining. He who lets the flakes float by has nothing to show for his trouble.” quote by Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/eric-hoffer-343_creativeness_actual-creativeness-is-a-matter-of-momen_455199.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/eric-hoffer-343_creativeness_actual-creativeness-is-a-matter-of-momen_455199.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/eric-hoffer-343_creativeness_actual-creativeness-is-a-matter-of-momen_455199.jpg) > “Actual creativeness is a matter of moments. One has to piece together the minute grains to make a lump. And it is so easy to miss the momentary flashes, it is like sluicing in placer mining. He who lets the flakes float by has nothing to show for his trouble.” [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creativity arises from fleeting moments; missing them wastes potential. **In simple terms:** Ideas flash briefly; capture them. Key Takeaway Stay alert for inspiration. Themes creativity attention patience Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - artistic work - problem solving - research - innovation Key Concepts momentum focus Questions to Reflect On - What habits help you notice flashes? - How to balance capture and reflection? A Different Perspective Not all moments are productive; over‑analysis can stall. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creativeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativeness/) [Grain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grain/) [Mining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mining/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The Paleolithic hunters who painted the unsurpassed animal murals on the ceiling of the cave at Altamira had only rudimentary tools. Art is older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-paleolithic-hunters-who-painted-the-unsurpassed-animal-murals-on/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [It is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and the playground is the optimal milieu for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-the-child-in-man-that-is-the-source-of-his-uniqueness-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [One is not quite certain that creativeness in the arts, literature, and science functions best in an environment of absolute freedom. Chances are that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/one-is-not-quite-certain-that-creativeness-in-the-arts-literature-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Poverty when coupled with creativeness is usually free of frustration. This is true of the poor artisan skilled in his trade and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/poverty-when-coupled-with-creativeness-is-usually-free-of-frustration/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The impulse to think, to philosophize and spin beauty and brilliance out of mind and soul, is somehow the offspring of resistance of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-impulse-to-think-to-philosophize-and-spin-beauty-and-brilliance/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Society cannot contribute anything to the breeding and growing of ingenious men. A creative genius cannot be trained. There are no schools for creativeness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/society-cannot-contribute-anything-to-the-breeding-and-growing-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I think that all creative people are a little bit nuts...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-think-that-all-creative-people-are-a-little-bit-nuts/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [The power of nature is what all art strives to be. The more we can get in tune with the harmony of the planet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-rubin/the-power-of-nature-is-what-all-art-strives-to-be-the-more-we-can-get/) [Rick Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-rubin/) > [Facility is an obstacle to any creativeness. In any art form. You get a nice effect without effort, sometimes by accident, and you're satisfied;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilli-palmer/facility-is-an-obstacle-to-any-creativeness-in-any-art-form-you-get-a/) [Lilli Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilli-palmer/) > [Taste is the enemy of creativeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/taste-is-the-enemy-of-creativeness/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [When you understand who and what you are, your radiance projects into the universal radiance and everything around you becomes creative and full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/when-you-understand-who-and-what-you-are-your-radiance-projects-into/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [My feeling is that the concept of creativeness and the concept of the healthy, self actualizing, fully human person seem to be coming closer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-maslow/my-feeling-is-that-the-concept-of-creativeness-and-the-concept-of-the/) [Abraham Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-maslow/) > [Creativity is more than mere imagination. It is imagination inseparably coupled with both intent and effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-faickney-osborn/creativity-is-more-than-mere-imagination-it-is-imagination/) [Alex Faickney Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-faickney-osborn/) > [Chinese movies are not just about making Chinese local movies. It's about the Chinese money, the Chinese creativeness participating in a global movie. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-zheng-wu/chinese-movies-are-not-just-about-making-chinese-local-movies-it-s/) [Bruno Zheng Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-zheng-wu/) > [Lil Wayne is a person who I think is really deserving of the success he's had. I'm someone who can stay in the studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-elliot/lil-wayne-is-a-person-who-i-think-is-really-deserving-of-the-success/) [Missy Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-elliot/) ## More by Eric Hoffer > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/we-lie-the-loudest-when-we-lie-to-ourselves/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Our originality shows itself most strikingly not in what we wholly originate but in what we do with that which we borrow from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/our-originality-shows-itself-most-strikingly-not-in-what-we-wholly/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-creative-mind-is-the-playful-mind-philosophy-is-the-play-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [It is also plausible that those movements with the greatest inner contradiction and between profession and practice - that is to say with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-also-plausible-that-those-movements-with-the-greatest-inner/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-best-part-of-the-art-of-living-is-to-know-how-to-grow-old/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“In the alchemy of man's soul almost all noble attributes--courage, honor, love, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, etc.--can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-the-alchemy-of-man-s-soul-almost-all-noble-attributes-courage/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The act of self-denial seems to confer on us the right to be harsh and merciless toward others. The impression somehow prevails that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-act-of-self-denial-seems-to-confer-on-us-the-right-to-be-harsh/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A nation without dregs and malcontents, is orderly, decent, peaceful and pleasant, but perhaps without the seed of things to come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-nation-without-dregs-and-malcontents-is-orderly-decent-peaceful-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/compassion-alone-stands-apart-from-the-continuous-traffic-between/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-are-many-who-find-a-good-alibi-far-more-attractive-than-an/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A war is not won if the defeated enemy has not been turned into a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-war-is-not-won-if-the-defeated-enemy-has-not-been-turned-into-a/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Man is the only creature that strives to surpass himself, and yearns for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/man-is-the-only-creature-that-strives-to-surpass-himself-and-yearns/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [This food-and-shelter theory concerning man's efforts is without insight. The desire for praise is more imperative than the desire for food and shelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/this-food-and-shelter-theory-concerning-man-s-efforts-is-without/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Explore all 658 Eric Hoffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## More Creativeness quotes > [Lil Wayne is a person who I think is really deserving of the success he's had. I'm someone who can stay in the studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-elliot/lil-wayne-is-a-person-who-i-think-is-really-deserving-of-the-success/) [Missy Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-elliot/) > [Chinese movies are not just about making Chinese local movies. It's about the Chinese money, the Chinese creativeness participating in a global movie. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-zheng-wu/chinese-movies-are-not-just-about-making-chinese-local-movies-it-s/) [Bruno Zheng Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-zheng-wu/) > [Creativity is more than mere imagination. It is imagination inseparably coupled with both intent and effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-faickney-osborn/creativity-is-more-than-mere-imagination-it-is-imagination/) [Alex Faickney Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-faickney-osborn/) > [My feeling is that the concept of creativeness and the concept of the healthy, self actualizing, fully human person seem to be coming closer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-maslow/my-feeling-is-that-the-concept-of-creativeness-and-the-concept-of-the/) [Abraham Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-maslow/) > [When you understand who and what you are, your radiance projects into the universal radiance and everything around you becomes creative and full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/when-you-understand-who-and-what-you-are-your-radiance-projects-into/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Taste is the enemy of creativeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/taste-is-the-enemy-of-creativeness/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Facility is an obstacle to any creativeness. In any art form. You get a nice effect without effort, sometimes by accident, and you're satisfied;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilli-palmer/facility-is-an-obstacle-to-any-creativeness-in-any-art-form-you-get-a/) [Lilli Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilli-palmer/) > [The power of nature is what all art strives to be. The more we can get in tune with the harmony of the planet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-rubin/the-power-of-nature-is-what-all-art-strives-to-be-the-more-we-can-get/) [Rick Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-rubin/) > [I think that all creative people are a little bit nuts...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-think-that-all-creative-people-are-a-little-bit-nuts/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [Society cannot contribute anything to the breeding and growing of ingenious men. A creative genius cannot be trained. There are no schools for creativeness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/society-cannot-contribute-anything-to-the-breeding-and-growing-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ If a man devotes himself to the instructions of his own unconscious, it can bestow this gift \[of renewal\], so that suddenly life, which… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-louise-von-franz/if-a-man-devotes-himself-to-the-instructions-of-his-own-unconscious/) [Marie-Louise von Franz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-louise-von-franz/) > [Errors and exaggerations do not matter. What matters is boldness in thinking with a strong-pitched voice, in speaking out about things as one feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-clemente-orozco/errors-and-exaggerations-do-not-matter-what-matters-is-boldness-in/) Jose Clemente Orozco > [Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/happiness-lies-not-in-the-mere-possession-of-money-it-lies-in-the-joy-2/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [An art whose medium is language will always show a high degree of critical creativeness, for speech is itself a critique of life: it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/an-art-whose-medium-is-language-will-always-show-a-high-degree-of/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [There are certain things that our age needs. It needs, above all, courageous hope and the impulse to creativeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-are-certain-things-that-our-age-needs-it-needs-above-all/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Browse all 80 Creativeness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativeness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Actual creativeness is a matter of moments. One has to piece together the minute grains to make a lump. And it is so easy to miss the momentary flashes, it is like sluicing in placer mining. 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