Creative spirit Quote by Ovid
““For such a career I lacked both endurance and inclination: the stress of ambition left me cold, while the Muse, the creative spirit, was forever urging on me that haven of leisure to which I'd always leaned. The poets of those days I cultivated and cherished: for me, bards were so many gods.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Metamorphoses, Book 6, 8 AD
The speaker feels torn between ambition’s cold demands and the leisurely inspiration of the Muse, valuing poets as divine beings.
In simple terms: Ambition feels cold; inspiration feels divine.
Key Takeaway
Balance duty with creative leisure.
Themes
ambition
inspiration
art
divine
conflict
Mood
reflective
contemplative
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- career planning
- artistic pursuits
- seeking inspiration
- managing burnout
Key Concepts
classical literature
personal struggle
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you honor both ambition and leisure?
- What rituals keep your muse alive?
A Different Perspective
Creative inspiration may be fleeting and hard to sustain.
![“A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. [Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.]” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/95c/ovid-276_conscious_a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the_12185.jpg)
![“Even if security from the cradle to the grave could eliminate [all] the risks of life, it would [still] be a dead hand on the creative spirit of the American people.” quote by Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1f1/herbert-hoover-1115_american-people_even-if-security-from-the-cradle-to-the_213112.jpg)