--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that so much of the creative…" description: "\"I think that so much of the creative process is a fragmentary one, and then it's about just allowing your intuition to put it together for you. It's fu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/jeff-mangum-16672_creative_i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-pro_1993057.jpg" --- # I think that so much of the creative process is a… ![“I think that so much of the creative process is a fragmentary one, and then it's about just allowing your intuition to put it together for you. It's funny how you create something and you think you're going in a million different directions, and then the thing you end up with is the thing that you…” quote by Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/jeff-mangum-16672_creative_i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-pro_1993057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/jeff-mangum-16672_creative_i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-pro_1993057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/jeff-mangum-16672_creative_i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-pro_1993057.jpg) > “I think that so much of the creative process is a fragmentary one, and then it's about just allowing your intuition to put it together for you. It's funny how you create something and you think you're going in a million different directions, and then the thing you end up with is the thing that you wanted to create your whole life, but you're just as surprised by it as anybody else.” [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work often feels fragmented, but trusting intuition lets disparate pieces coalesce into a final product that can surprise even the creator **In simple terms:** Intuition stitches together fragmented ideas into a cohesive creation Key Takeaway Trust your intuition in creative work Themes creativity intuition process Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing - music composition - design brainstorming - problem solving Key Concepts Emergent synthesis self‑discovery artistic surprise Questions to Reflect On - What role does intuition play in your creative decisions? - How do you balance structure with spontaneous insight? A Different Perspective Intuition can lead to outcomes that feel unplanned, risking lack of direction ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allowing Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allowing-intuition-3465416/) [Create Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-think-1629534/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different directions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-directions/) [Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition/) [Think Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-creative/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) ## Related quotes > [“Imagine, create, think beyond the limits. Then write.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-loskov/imagine-create-think-beyond-the-limits-then-write/) [Kimberly Loskov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-loskov/) > [I don't think of my characters as people I create, I think of them more as people I have met and whom I'm exploring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/i-don-t-think-of-my-characters-as-people-i-create-i-think-of-them/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) > [I want to create. I think that's the one word I can grow on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-broussard/i-want-to-create-i-think-that-s-the-one-word-i-can-grow-on/) [Israel Broussard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-broussard/) > [I want to create. I think thats the one word I can grow on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-broussard/i-want-to-create-i-think-thats-the-one-word-i-can-grow-on/) [Israel Broussard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-broussard/) > [“Fear isn't real. It's something we create when we think about what could happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-bielman/fear-isn-t-real-it-s-something-we-create-when-we-think-about-what/) [Robin Bielman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-bielman/) > [I've learned over the years that you're going to be most successful at the things you're most excited to do. Every artist has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-vai/i-ve-learned-over-the-years-that-you-re-going-to-be-most-successful/) [Steve Vai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-vai/) > [Believe passionately in something that still does not exist; You create it. Think nonexisting, 'what's not sufficiently been desired.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/believe-passionately-in-something-that-still-does-not-exist-you/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [By believing your work is a 'gift,' it radically changes what you create. I think this is a revolutionary idea. It's no longer about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/by-believing-your-work-is-a-gift-it-radically-changes-what-you-create/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [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/) > [Science is actually, I think, a very creative venture. It requires thinking outside of the box. It requires an ability to be open to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-santa-maria/science-is-actually-i-think-a-very-creative-venture-it-requires/) [Cara Santa Maria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-santa-maria/) > [I don't think the creative writing industry has helped American poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-morgan/i-don-t-think-the-creative-writing-industry-has-helped-american-poetry/) [Robert Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-morgan/) > [It's very easy I think when you're a creative person to wait for the right thing and to start getting self-conscious about how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-hurwitz/it-s-very-easy-i-think-when-you-re-a-creative-person-to-wait-for-the/) [Mitchell Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-hurwitz/) > [Sometimes when you have limited resources and you really have to think about creative ways to get around some of these problems, generally the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-lieberman/sometimes-when-you-have-limited-resources-and-you-really-have-to/) [Todd Lieberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-lieberman/) > [ How can you worry about pleasing people \[critics\] and what they're going to think? How can you do anything creative if the whole thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-easton/how-can-you-worry-about-pleasing-people-critics-and-what-they-re/) [Elliot Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-easton/) > [I like to think of myself as a creative player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-pulisic/i-like-to-think-of-myself-as-a-creative-player/) [Christian Pulisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-pulisic/) ## More by Jeff Mangum > [You know, you struggle and cry and moan and thrash around and beat your head against the wall... and then you realize that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/you-know-you-struggle-and-cry-and-moan-and-thrash-around-and-beat/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [My songs pretty much revolve in my brain most of the time - usually, whatevers coming next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/my-songs-pretty-much-revolve-in-my-brain-most-of-the-time-usually/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [I bring a record home, and it connects with me like nothing else. In my ideal situation, somebody will do that with my record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-bring-a-record-home-and-it-connects-with-me-like-nothing-else-in-my/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [I guess my path feels sort of different now... I don't know what's going to happen, but I certainly want to make music a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-guess-my-path-feels-sort-of-different-now-i-don-t-know-what-s-going/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [“And now a song for Jesus Christ and since this seems to confuse people I'd like to simply say that I mean what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/and-now-a-song-for-jesus-christ-and-since-this-seems-to-confuse/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [Soft silly music is meaningful, magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/soft-silly-music-is-meaningful-magical/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [My songs pretty much revolve in my brain most of the time - usually, whatever's coming next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/my-songs-pretty-much-revolve-in-my-brain-most-of-the-time-usually-2/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [I spend a lot of time practicing active imagination before I go to sleep. What I'm feeling will manifest as images through active imagination.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-practicing-active-imagination-before-i-go-to/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [I feel like we're so limited by the context at which we look at life. The way we look at who we're supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-feel-like-we-re-so-limited-by-the-context-at-which-we-look-at-life/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [I'm trying to find peace in the world, as it is. I'm feeling this sort of slow stripping of my mind, like the layers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-m-trying-to-find-peace-in-the-world-as-it-is-i-m-feeling-this-sort/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [The music is supposed to be healing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/the-music-is-supposed-to-be-healing/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [I think the songs I was writing after Aeroplane were full of a lot of undealt-with pain that was just a little too big...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-think-the-songs-i-was-writing-after-aeroplane-were-full-of-a-lot-of/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [When I tried to grasp at either what I love or what I hate, I destroyed the very ability of being able to really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/when-i-tried-to-grasp-at-either-what-i-love-or-what-i-hate-i/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [The songs sort of come out spontaneously and it'll take me awhile to figure out what exactly is happening lyrically, what kind of story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/the-songs-sort-of-come-out-spontaneously-and-it-ll-take-me-awhile-to/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) > [I love the idea of a record containing an entire universe; where the sounds span decades of recording from all over the world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-love-the-idea-of-a-record-containing-an-entire-universe-where-the/) [Jeff Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) [Explore all 39 Jeff Mangum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/) ## More Creative quotes > [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/) [Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/) > [When you're being truly creative, time stands still, and you enter a dimension that can carry you beyond the ordinariness of everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/when-you-re-being-truly-creative-time-stands-still-and-you-enter-a/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Money is only used for two things. One, it's to make you comfortable, and the more comfortable you are the more creative you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/money-is-only-used-for-two-things-one-it-s-to-make-you-comfortable/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/) [Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/) > [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/) [Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/) > [What Sri Chinmoy does is God-given! He has a tremendous, a fantastic creative urge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/what-sri-chinmoy-does-is-god-given-he-has-a-tremendous-a-fantastic/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [when times are tough, the weak bail and the tough get creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/when-times-are-tough-the-weak-bail-and-the-tough-get-creative/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Teasing out the way the world might look through another's eyes is what makes the creative process so fascinating and enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/teasing-out-the-way-the-world-might-look-through-another-s-eyes-is/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [The creation lives as genesis beneath the visible surface of the work. All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) [Browse all 7,284 Creative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that so much of the creative process is a fragmentary one, and then it's about just allowing your intuition to put it together for you. It's funny how you create something and you think you're going in a million different directions, and then the thing you end up with is the thing that you wanted to create your whole life, but you're just as surprised by it as anybody else.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Mangum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-process-is-a-fragmentary-one-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creative" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-process-is-a-fragmentary-one-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/jeff-mangum-16672_creative_i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-pro_1993057.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/jeff-mangum-16672_creative_i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-pro_1993057.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9e/jeff-mangum-16672_creative_i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-pro_1993057.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that so much of the creative process is a fragmentary one, and then it's about just allowing your…” — Jeff Mangum", "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": "Jeff Mangum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-mangum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that so much of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-process-is-a-fragmentary-one-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-mangum/i-think-that-so-much-of-the-creative-process-is-a-fragmentary-one-and/#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 } } ] } ```