Art Quote by Madeleine L'Engle
““If the work comes to the artist and says, 'Here I am, serve me,' then the job of the artist, great or small, is to serve. The amount of the artist's talent is not what it is about. Jean Rhys said to an interviewer in the Paris Review , 'Listen to me. All of writing is a huge lake. There are great rivers that feed the lake, like Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. And there are mere trickles, like Jean Rhys. All that matters is feeding the lake. I don't matter. The lake matters. You must keep feeding the lake'.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Paris Review Interview, 1975
The passage emphasizes that an artist's role is to contribute to the collective creative pool, not to seek personal fame; the work itself matters most.
In simple terms: Artists should serve the collective creative effort, not personal ego.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize the work over self.
Themes
creativity
humility
collaboration
Mood
humble
inspirational
Type
philosophical
artistic
When to use this quote
- writing
- visual arts
- music
- community projects
Key Concepts
artistic purpose
collective contribution
Questions to Reflect On
- How can artists balance personal voice with collective contribution?
- When does self‑expression become essential?
A Different Perspective
The view may undervalue individual innovation and personal expression.
