--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life, the raw material, is only lived in…" description: "\"Life, the raw material, is only lived in potentia until the artist deploys it in his work.\" — Lawrence Durrell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d1/lawrence-durrell-2169_art_life-the-raw-material-is-only-lived-in-p_1157912.jpg" --- # Life, the raw material, is only lived in potentia until… ![“Life, the raw material, is only lived in potentia until the artist deploys it in his work.” quote by Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d1/lawrence-durrell-2169_art_life-the-raw-material-is-only-lived-in-p_1157912.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d1/lawrence-durrell-2169_art_life-the-raw-material-is-only-lived-in-p_1157912.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d1/lawrence-durrell-2169_art_life-the-raw-material-is-only-lived-in-p_1157912.jpg) > “Life, the raw material, is only lived in potentia until the artist deploys it in his work.” [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that life’s potential exists only as possibility until an artist transforms it into tangible work, giving it form and meaning. **In simple terms:** Potential becomes real through artistic creation. Key Takeaway Create to give life shape. Themes creativity potential artistic expression Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - writing - visual arts - music composition - design projects Key Concepts existentialism ontology creative process Questions to Reflect On - How does your work materialize life's possibilities? - What limits artistic transformation? A Different Perspective Art may not capture all aspects of life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Deploys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-deploys-3302008/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Raw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-raw-541424/) [Lived Potentia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lived-potentia-3302007/) [Material Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material-lived-3302009/) [Materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materials/) [Potentia Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potentia-artist-3302006/) [Raw material](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raw-material/) [Raw materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raw-materials/) ## Related quotes > [I look on my life as raw material for my novels: that's just the way I am, and it frees me from any inhibitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imre-kert-sz/i-look-on-my-life-as-raw-material-for-my-novels-that-s-just-the-way-i/) [Imre Kertész](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imre-kert-sz/) > [When I was training, those were some of the most indelible experiences I've ever had, in my life. 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To attack the raw material, gradually to extract a shape out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristide-maillol/carving-is-a-source-of-joy-to-the-artist-to-attack-the-raw-material/) [Aristide Maillol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristide-maillol/) > [As hundreds of millions of Chinese have improved their standard of living, this has put enormous pressure on natural resources, raw materials, and food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lubetzky/as-hundreds-of-millions-of-chinese-have-improved-their-standard-of/) [Daniel Lubetzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lubetzky/) > [Attractive Etonians who go straight onto the Stock Exchange missing University on their fathers advice: the raw material of the great bores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-madan/attractive-etonians-who-go-straight-onto-the-stock-exchange-missing/) [Geoffrey Madan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-madan/) > [We're fortunate enough to live on a planet that's bathed in thousands of times more energy than we use and that's stocked with thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/we-re-fortunate-enough-to-live-on-a-planet-that-s-bathed-in-thousands/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) ## More by Lawrence Durrell > [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [“Suddenly at the end of the great couloir my vision is sharpened by a pale disjunctive shudder as a bar of buttercup-yellow thickening gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/suddenly-at-the-end-of-the-great-couloir-my-vision-is-sharpened-by-a/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [To be the equal of reality you must learn how to ignore it without danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/to-be-the-equal-of-reality-you-must-learn-how-to-ignore-it-without/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [The cocktail party - as the name itself indicates - was originally invented by dogs. 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Our view of reality is conditioned by our position in space and time -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/we-live-writes-pursewarden-somewhere-lives-based-upon-selected/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [It's unthinkable not to love -you'd have a severe nervous breakdown. Or you'd have to be Philip Larkin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/it-s-unthinkable-not-to-love-you-d-have-a-severe-nervous-breakdown-or/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [“...man is only an extension of the spirit of place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/man-is-only-an-extension-of-the-spirit-of-place/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [“God did not create us, nor did He wish us to be created. We are the work of a lesser deity, a demiurge, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/god-did-not-create-us-nor-did-he-wish-us-to-be-created-we-are-the/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [The steward, according to custom, had stopped all the clocks. 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Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. 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