--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know what the creative process…" description: "\"I don't know what the creative process is. I don't know how to trick it into starting or how to egg it on.\" — Sydney Pollack" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/sydney-pollack-2385_creative_i-don-t-know-what-the-creative-process-i_976082.jpg" --- # I don't know what the creative process is. I don't know… ![“I don't know what the creative process is. I don't know how to trick it into starting or how to egg it on.” quote by Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/sydney-pollack-2385_creative_i-don-t-know-what-the-creative-process-i_976082.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/sydney-pollack-2385_creative_i-don-t-know-what-the-creative-process-i_976082.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/sydney-pollack-2385_creative_i-don-t-know-what-the-creative-process-i_976082.jpg) > “I don't know what the creative process is. I don't know how to trick it into starting or how to egg it on.” [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creative process is mysterious; it's unclear how to initiate or stimulate it. **In simple terms:** Creativity is elusive and hard to control. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty. Themes creativity process uncertainty Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - writing - painting - design - problem solving Key Concepts psychology of art flow state Questions to Reflect On - How do you naturally enter flow? - What rituals help spark ideas? A Different Perspective Attempting to force creativity can hinder it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Trick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trick/) ## Related quotes > [When you start with a portrait and search for a pure form, a clear volume, through successive eliminations, you arrive inevitably at the egg.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/when-you-start-with-a-portrait-and-search-for-a-pure-form-a-clear/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [I never divide photographers into creative and uncreative, I just call them photographers. Who is creative? How do you know who is creative or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/i-never-divide-photographers-into-creative-and-uncreative-i-just-call/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [I think a lot of people study the rules too much and then don't know how to be creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-casablancas/i-think-a-lot-of-people-study-the-rules-too-much-and-then-don-t-know/) [Julian Casablancas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-casablancas/) > [“You cannot transform a domain unless you first thoroughly understand how it works. Which means that one has to acquire the tools of mathematics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/you-cannot-transform-a-domain-unless-you-first-thoroughly-understand/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [You know how creative people are, we have to try everything until we find our niche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-how-creative-people-are-we-have-to-try-everything-until-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We know that creative people have all sorts of demons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-menkes/we-know-that-creative-people-have-all-sorts-of-demons/) [Suzy Menkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-menkes/) > [I've always eaten egg whites because when I was little, I didn't like the color yellow, so my mom would trick me into eating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-longoria/i-ve-always-eaten-egg-whites-because-when-i-was-little-i-didn-t-like/) [Eva Longoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-longoria/) > [Well, I do expect a lot of myself. I'm a harsh critic because I know what I'm capable of. I have hit those occasional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-stevens/well-i-do-expect-a-lot-of-myself-i-m-a-harsh-critic-because-i-know/) Dave Stevens > [There just is exponentially more money in the movie business than in the music business. As a result there are more people involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-duritz/there-just-is-exponentially-more-money-in-the-movie-business-than-in/) [Adam Duritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-duritz/) > [I think what holds people up in creative processes is the expectation of what it is they're doing. It's also the sense of judgement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-hegarty/i-think-what-holds-people-up-in-creative-processes-is-the-expectation/) [Antony Hegarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-hegarty/) > [The impresario function is about intervening with the company's more administrative management structure. It is about trying to establish a sense of boundaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/the-impresario-function-is-about-intervening-with-the-company-s-more/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [Fear is a killer, when it comes to the creative process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-baldwin/fear-is-a-killer-when-it-comes-to-the-creative-process/) [Adam Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-baldwin/) > [Use the creative process - singing, writing, art, dance, whatever - to get to know yourself better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catie-curtis/use-the-creative-process-singing-writing-art-dance-whatever-to-get-to/) [Catie Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catie-curtis/) > [Any creative process is about being in a territory which isn't secure, isn't necessarily familiar, and isn't convenient in any sort of way. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/any-creative-process-is-about-being-in-a-territory-which-isn-t-secure/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [Teasing out the way the world might look through another's eyes is what makes the creative process so fascinating and enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/teasing-out-the-way-the-world-might-look-through-another-s-eyes-is/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) ## More by Sydney Pollack > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [It's my job to motivate the audience to believe. I have to get them to suspend their judgment in favor of involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/it-s-my-job-to-motivate-the-audience-to-believe-i-have-to-get-them-to/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [The marketing of anything is full of exploitation and lies and hype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/the-marketing-of-anything-is-full-of-exploitation-and-lies-and-hype/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Burt Lancaster was largely responsible for me becoming a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/burt-lancaster-was-largely-responsible-for-me-becoming-a-director/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [People sense when you're pretending, when you're worried about your own ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/people-sense-when-you-re-pretending-when-you-re-worried-about-your/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I personally have never made a movie in Hollywood, because I don't want to get up in my own bed and then go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-personally-have-never-made-a-movie-in-hollywood-because-i-don-t/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Every film I've made has a kind of frustrated love story in the center of it. They were people who saw life from opposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/every-film-i-ve-made-has-a-kind-of-frustrated-love-story-in-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You mustn't regret decisions that you make. Because the decisions are made out of your gut in a way and you have to stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-mustn-t-regret-decisions-that-you-make-because-the-decisions-are/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [When you're shooting a feature that costs $200,000 a day with a crew of 250, you don't want accidents; you want to know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/when-you-re-shooting-a-feature-that-costs-200-000-a-day-with-a-crew/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [What makes architecture extraordinary is that you're looking at the building, but your peripheral vision is also seeing how it fits within a space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/what-makes-architecture-extraordinary-is-that-you-re-looking-at-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't get nervous talking about my films, but if I'm the subject, it's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-get-nervous-talking-about-my-films-but-if-i-m-the-subject-it/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You are not an active creator of the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-are-not-an-active-creator-of-the-film/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [All films are political, whether they mean to be or not. Star Wars is political. As soon as you have conflict, which is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/all-films-are-political-whether-they-mean-to-be-or-not-star-wars-is/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [There will be people who are sensitive about seeing the American point of view presented as less than sympathetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/there-will-be-people-who-are-sensitive-about-seeing-the-american/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't consider myself a teacher of moral and political positions. I don't want to be that. I can't help but have a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-teacher-of-moral-and-political-positions-i/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) [Explore all 169 Sydney Pollack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) ## More Creative quotes > [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/) [Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/) > [When you're being truly creative, time stands still, and you enter a dimension that can carry you beyond the ordinariness of everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/when-you-re-being-truly-creative-time-stands-still-and-you-enter-a/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Money is only used for two things. One, it's to make you comfortable, and the more comfortable you are the more creative you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/money-is-only-used-for-two-things-one-it-s-to-make-you-comfortable/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [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/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/) [Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/) > [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/) [Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/) > [What Sri Chinmoy does is God-given! He has a tremendous, a fantastic creative urge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/what-sri-chinmoy-does-is-god-given-he-has-a-tremendous-a-fantastic/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [when times are tough, the weak bail and the tough get creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/when-times-are-tough-the-weak-bail-and-the-tough-get-creative/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Teasing out the way the world might look through another's eyes is what makes the creative process so fascinating and enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/teasing-out-the-way-the-world-might-look-through-another-s-eyes-is/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [The creation lives as genesis beneath the visible surface of the work. All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) [Browse all 7,284 Creative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know what the creative process is. 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