Creation Quote by Eva Zeisel
“To be different is a negative motive, and no creative thought or created thing grows out of a negative impulse. A negative impulse is always frustrating. And to be different means ‘not like this’ and ‘not like that.’ And the ‘not like’—that’s why postmodernism, with the prefix of ‘post,’ couldn’t work. No negative impulse can work, can produce any happy creation. Only a positive one.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Design Talk, Eva Zeisel, 1975
Creative work thrives on positive impulses; negative motives hinder genuine creation.
In simple terms: Positive motives foster creativity.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate positive intention.
Themes
creativity
motivation
psychology
Mood
thoughtful
inspirational
Type
philosophical
creative
When to use this quote
- artistic projects
- problem solving
- team brainstorming
Key Concepts
positive psychology
design thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you transform frustration into inspiration?
- What positive impulse can you adopt now?
A Different Perspective
Negative thinking can still spark useful critique.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
