--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be creative and spontaneous, you have…" description: "\"To be creative and spontaneous, you have to live with imperfection.\" — John Abercrombie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/john-abercrombie-41741_be-creative_to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have_1936628.jpg" --- # To be creative and spontaneous, you have to live with… ![“To be creative and spontaneous, you have to live with imperfection.” quote by John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/john-abercrombie-41741_be-creative_to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have_1936628.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/john-abercrombie-41741_be-creative_to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have_1936628.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/john-abercrombie-41741_be-creative_to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have_1936628.jpg) > “To be creative and spontaneous, you have to live with imperfection.” [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Embracing imperfection fuels creativity and spontaneity. **In simple terms:** Imperfection drives creativity. Key Takeaway Accept flaws, create freely. Themes creativity spontaneity imperfection growth Mood inspired reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - artistic projects - improvisational performance - daily problem solving - innovation sessions Key Concepts psychology mindset risk-taking Questions to Reflect On - How does accepting imperfection change your creative process? - What risks do you avoid by seeking perfection? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can still hinder progress if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Guitarist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitarist/) [Imperfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfection/) [Inspiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiring/) [Spontaneous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spontaneous/) ## Related quotes > [Let a person only approach his or her own self with a deep respect, even reverence for all that the creative soul, the God-mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/let-a-person-only-approach-his-or-her-own-self-with-a-deep-respect/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Find Eloy. Smack his head into a wall, dance on his guts... I'd get creative. Spontaneous like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/find-eloy-smack-his-head-into-a-wall-dance-on-his-guts-i-d-get/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [I've always loved artists - creative, spontaneous, laid-back people - but I wasn't meeting these types in real life. So I figured that, given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hyman/i-ve-always-loved-artists-creative-spontaneous-laid-back-people-but-i/) [Jennifer Hyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hyman/) > [“It's okay to live in imperfection as long as you work on loving your reflection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofi-benitez/it-s-okay-to-live-in-imperfection-as-long-as-you-work-on-loving-your/) [Sofi Benitez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofi-benitez/) > [“Mandy's friends gathered around her as she told the story-the true and somewhat heartbreaking story of her first time. It hadn't been perfect, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-brian/mandy-s-friends-gathered-around-her-as-she-told-the-story-the-true/) [Kate Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-brian/) > [Being happy isn't the same as being perfect - it's learning to live with imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-pearson/being-happy-isn-t-the-same-as-being-perfect-it-s-learning-to-live/) [Adam Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-pearson/) > [Perfection is unattainable, so I like to live in imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/perfection-is-unattainable-so-i-like-to-live-in-imperfection/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [Be spontaneous, be creative, go out and have fun, let things happen naturally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/be-spontaneous-be-creative-go-out-and-have-fun-let-things-happen/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [Actually, I wanted to be a musician, either a guitarist or a drummer. 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I've never been to a lesson, so my theory of music is non-existent in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sangster/i-play-bass-i-play-a-bit-of-guitar-i-ve-never-been-to-a-lesson-so-my/) [Thomas Sangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sangster/) > [Who I am as a guitarist is defined by my failure to become Jimi Hendrix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/who-i-am-as-a-guitarist-is-defined-by-my-failure-to-become-jimi/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [Once I got a guitar that was relatively user-friendly, but not super-duper easy, I really came on as a guitarist, at that point. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/once-i-got-a-guitar-that-was-relatively-user-friendly-but-not-super/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [I've always been playing with other people, and that's how I learned. I got a kit of drums I couldn't play, but I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/i-ve-always-been-playing-with-other-people-and-that-s-how-i-learned-i/) [Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/) ## More by John Abercrombie > [Classical musicians do this all the time. They want perfection. So they piece things together. Eight bars of this and six bars of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/classical-musicians-do-this-all-the-time-they-want-perfection-so-they/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) > [I don't remember what was going through my mind, but what was going through my body was fear and terror. I had been on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/i-don-t-remember-what-was-going-through-my-mind-but-what-was-going/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) > [As Eric Dolphy said 'Once you play the music, it's in the air. It's gone'. And that's true. But when you record it, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/as-eric-dolphy-said-once-you-play-the-music-it-s-in-the-air-it-s-gone/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) > [You're just sort of searching for this 'thing' and sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't. All music is imperfect, but in jazz…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/you-re-just-sort-of-searching-for-this-thing-and-sometimes-you-get-it/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) > [On record dates like that I never felt too nervous because everything was really overdubbed. When we did that album, we were in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/on-record-dates-like-that-i-never-felt-too-nervous-because-everything/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) > [Schlepping all of the equipment is the part I hate more than anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/schlepping-all-of-the-equipment-is-the-part-i-hate-more-than-anything/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) > [If you listen to a lot of music, it gradually seeps into your consciousness or your unconsciousness and comes out in your music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/if-you-listen-to-a-lot-of-music-it-gradually-seeps-into-your/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) > [Every time I listen back to solos of mine I'll hear something I like and then another phrase that I can't stand. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/every-time-i-listen-back-to-solos-of-mine-i-ll-hear-something-i-like/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) > [The sound and proper exercise of the imagination may be made to contribute to the cultivation of all that is virtuous and estimable in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/the-sound-and-proper-exercise-of-the-imagination-may-be-made-to/) [John Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) [Explore all 10 John Abercrombie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/) ## More Be creative quotes > [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/) > [To be creative means to connect. It's to abolish the gap between the body, the mind and the soul, between science and art, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/to-be-creative-means-to-connect-it-s-to-abolish-the-gap-between-the/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/attempt-to-be-creative-for-the-joy-it-brings-select-something-like/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > ['Born This Way' is shaping up to be creative ecstasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurieann-gibson/born-this-way-is-shaping-up-to-be-creative-ecstasy/) [Laurieann Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurieann-gibson/) > [Women need a space to be creative -- creativity thrives in solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sark/women-need-a-space-to-be-creative-creativity-thrives-in-solitude/) [Sark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sark/) > [Held in the palms of thousands of disgruntled people over the centuries have been ideas worth millions - if they only had taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hayes/held-in-the-palms-of-thousands-of-disgruntled-people-over-the/) Robert M. Hayes > [To lose your everyday life of surfing and being creative on waves, enjoying the ocean - that's scary to me. It was essential to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-hamilton/to-lose-your-everyday-life-of-surfing-and-being-creative-on-waves/) [Bethany Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-hamilton/) > [Trusting people to be creative and constructive when given more freedom does not imply an overly optimistic belief in the perfectibility of human nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/trusting-people-to-be-creative-and-constructive-when-given-more/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [I do like to be creative and I'm very lucky that I've been given different areas in which I'm able to do that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-o-brien/i-do-like-to-be-creative-and-i-m-very-lucky-that-i-ve-been-given/) [Richard O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-o-brien/) > [I miss the city Bret and I live in, Wellington. It's a good place to be creative, in the same way New York is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemaine-clement/i-miss-the-city-bret-and-i-live-in-wellington-it-s-a-good-place-to-be/) [Jemaine Clement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemaine-clement/) > [I do explore the emotion every once in a while. I'd like to think you don't stop being creative once you get happy. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-do-explore-the-emotion-every-once-in-a-while-i-d-like-to-think-you/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I stopped doing comics because I found the pressure really high to nail it every time. It's really difficult to be creative all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-beaton/i-stopped-doing-comics-because-i-found-the-pressure-really-high-to/) [Kate Beaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-beaton/) > [If you never venture outside the box, you will probably not be creative. But if you never get inside the box, you will certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-peterson/if-you-never-venture-outside-the-box-you-will-probably-not-be/) [Christopher Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-peterson/) > [I got into acting because I wanted to act and I love acting. That's my true north: to be creative and to be challenged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/i-got-into-acting-because-i-wanted-to-act-and-i-love-acting-that-s-my/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [ I don't know that Brandy \[Burre\] would ever categorize herself as being trapped, but I felt like I saw her being trapped. When she's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-don-t-know-that-brandy-burre-would-ever-categorize-herself-as-being/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) Browse all 489 Be creative quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be creative and spontaneous, you have to live with imperfection.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Abercrombie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have-to-live-with-imperfection/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be creative" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have-to-live-with-imperfection/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/john-abercrombie-41741_be-creative_to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have_1936628.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/john-abercrombie-41741_be-creative_to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have_1936628.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/john-abercrombie-41741_be-creative_to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have_1936628.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be creative and spontaneous, you have to live with imperfection.” — John Abercrombie", "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": "John Abercrombie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abercrombie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To be creative and spontaneous, you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have-to-live-with-imperfection/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abercrombie/to-be-creative-and-spontaneous-you-have-to-live-with-imperfection/#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 } } ] } ```