--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In every art the desire to practice it…" description: "\"In every art the desire to practice it precedes both the full ability to do so and the possession of something worthwhile to express by its means.\" — P..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/phyllis-bentley-48232_ability_in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-p_2278402.jpg" --- # In every art the desire to practice it precedes both the… ![“In every art the desire to practice it precedes both the full ability to do so and the possession of something worthwhile to express by its means.” quote by Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/phyllis-bentley-48232_ability_in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-p_2278402.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/phyllis-bentley-48232_ability_in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-p_2278402.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/phyllis-bentley-48232_ability_in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-p_2278402.jpg) > “In every art the desire to practice it precedes both the full ability to do so and the possession of something worthwhile to express by its means.” [Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The desire to create precedes skill and the meaningful content to express. **In simple terms:** Wanting to create comes before ability and purpose. Key Takeaway Cultivate desire before skill. Themes creativity motivation skill development Mood inspirational motivational Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - learning a new instrument - writing a novel - painting - coding Key Concepts desire potential expression Questions to Reflect On - What drives your creative desire? - How can you align desire with purpose? A Different Perspective Desire alone may not lead to mastery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Possession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possession/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthwhile/) ## Related quotes > [Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/practice-means-to-perform-over-and-over-again-in-the-face-of-all/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [“Practice precedes perfection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/practice-precedes-perfection/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“principle—Carnegie’s: ‘A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james/principle-carnegie-s-a-man-who-acquires-the-ability-to-take-full/) [E.L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james/) > [“An extraordinarily rare ability is in your possession. Hone the skills so you effectively utilize your gift. As we speak and as you wile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-z-marie/an-extraordinarily-rare-ability-is-in-your-possession-hone-the-skills/) L.Z. Marie > [“A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/a-man-who-acquires-the-ability-to-take-full-possession-of-his-own/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [The only thing that gets me through any type of pain, emotional or physical, is to make it worthwhile by putting it into my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-stiles/the-only-thing-that-gets-me-through-any-type-of-pain-emotional-or/) [Julia Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-stiles/) > [The goal in raising one's child is to enable him, first, to discover who he wants to be, and then to become a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-bettelheim/the-goal-in-raising-one-s-child-is-to-enable-him-first-to-discover/) [Bruno Bettelheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-bettelheim/) > [Of all the things that it is possible to donate, to donate your own body is infinitely more worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jones/of-all-the-things-that-it-is-possible-to-donate-to-donate-your-own/) [William Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jones/) > [Translating is a respectable, valuable, creative and worthwhile use of a human brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/translating-is-a-respectable-valuable-creative-and-worthwhile-use-of/) David Bellos > [Even if a relationship is breakable, it doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile, beautiful, and all the things that we look for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/even-if-a-relationship-is-breakable-it-doesn-t-mean-it-isn-t/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Is winning the Open worth a million pounds? Well, it's worthwhile winning it - I would recommend it to anybody!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-lyle/is-winning-the-open-worth-a-million-pounds-well-it-s-worthwhile/) Sandy Lyle > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The pursuit of perfection is frustrating and a waste of time, because nothing is ever perfect. The pursuit of excellence is commendable and worthwhile.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kulwicki/the-pursuit-of-perfection-is-frustrating-and-a-waste-of-time-because/) [Alan Kulwicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kulwicki/) > [“Enjoy small moments as they come. At the end, That's what makes life worthwhile...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadun-lokuliyanage/enjoy-small-moments-as-they-come-at-the-end-that-s-what-makes-life/) Nadun Lokuliyanage > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) ## More by Phyllis Bentley > [There are two roads to every place, and the wise man chooses the pleasant one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/there-are-two-roads-to-every-place-and-the-wise-man-chooses-the/) [Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) > [When one married a man, it was clear to me, one married also the sink and the stove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/when-one-married-a-man-it-was-clear-to-me-one-married-also-the-sink/) [Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) > [It's a useful rule in Anglo-American communications that the English should double, and the Americans halve, the number of words they would normally employ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/it-s-a-useful-rule-in-anglo-american-communications-that-the-english/) [Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) > [your actions live after you till this globe is dissolved; they pass inevitably down as an inheritance from one generation to another. ... decency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/your-actions-live-after-you-till-this-globe-is-dissolved-they-pass/) [Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) > [Retracing the various episodes of one's life, one is disconcerted to discover that one was not as noble as one thought oneself at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/retracing-the-various-episodes-of-one-s-life-one-is-disconcerted-to/) [Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) > [My idea of marriage, as of every other partnership, ... is that each member shall contribute to it his or her personality, unrepressed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/my-idea-of-marriage-as-of-every-other-partnership-is-that-each-member/) [Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) > [These last years are as important as any that have gone before, nor will any other of our years vitiate or excuse them. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/these-last-years-are-as-important-as-any-that-have-gone-before-nor/) [Phyllis Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) [Explore all 8 Phyllis Bentley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In every art the desire to practice it precedes both the full ability to do so and the possession of something worthwhile to express by its means.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phyllis Bentley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-precedes-both-the-full-ability/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-precedes-both-the-full-ability/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/phyllis-bentley-48232_ability_in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-p_2278402.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/phyllis-bentley-48232_ability_in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-p_2278402.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/phyllis-bentley-48232_ability_in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-p_2278402.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In every art the desire to practice it precedes both the full ability to do so and the possession of…” — Phyllis Bentley", "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": "Phyllis Bentley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bentley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In every art the desire to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-precedes-both-the-full-ability/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bentley/in-every-art-the-desire-to-practice-it-precedes-both-the-full-ability/#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 } } ] } ```