--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can only generate ideas when you put…" description: "\"You can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper, brush to canvas... when you actually do something physical.\" — Twyla Tharp" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/twyla-tharp-1069_actually_you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put_2515729.png" --- # You can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper… ![“You can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper, brush to canvas... when you actually do something physical.” quote by Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/twyla-tharp-1069_actually_you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put_2515729.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/twyla-tharp-1069_actually_you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put_2515729.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/twyla-tharp-1069_actually_you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put_2515729.png) > “You can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper, brush to canvas... when you actually do something physical.” [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas become real only when you translate them into physical form, like drawing or painting. **In simple terms:** Ideas need physical work to become real. Key Takeaway Start creating physically to unlock ideas. Themes creativity productivity artistic process Mood encouraging reflective Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - draw sketches - paint a canvas - write drafts - build prototypes Key Concepts embodiment creative flow Questions to Reflect On - What physical step can you take on a current idea? - How does making something tangible change your thinking? A Different Perspective Physical work can be intimidating or messy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Canvas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canvas/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [On occasion I have drawn as a release from painting. The economy in using paper, pencil, charcoal and crayon can help towards a greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scott/on-occasion-i-have-drawn-as-a-release-from-painting-the-economy-in/) [William Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scott/) > [On my desk, I always have a lemon or a lime drying. I love the fragrance. Also, a Staedtler eraser, a brush for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maira-kalman/on-my-desk-i-always-have-a-lemon-or-a-lime-drying-i-love-the/) [Maira Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maira-kalman/) > [“Every life is a canvas and every interaction is a brush, therefore we’d be wise to consider how we handle the paint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/every-life-is-a-canvas-and-every-interaction-is-a-brush-therefore-we/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Computers can be taught that certain tune or certain chords changes will sound pleasant together, but I don't think it's going to reach a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/computers-can-be-taught-that-certain-tune-or-certain-chords-changes/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) > [At school, new ideas are thrust at you every day. Out in the world, you’ll have to find the inner motivation to search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/at-school-new-ideas-are-thrust-at-you-every-day-out-in-the-world-you-2/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [“Having a clone to bounce ideas off of would be a way to generate more ideas. Another way would be to build an idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/having-a-clone-to-bounce-ideas-off-of-would-be-a-way-to-generate-more/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [You need the willingness to fail all the time. You have to generate many ideas and then you have to work very hard only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/you-need-the-willingness-to-fail-all-the-time-you-have-to-generate/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) > [While the tendency to generate ideas is rather natural, the path to making them happen is tumultuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-belsky/while-the-tendency-to-generate-ideas-is-rather-natural-the-path-to/) [Scott Belsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-belsky/) > [When I first started to get into writing, it was via music. I'd generate ideas for songs that would turn into stories, then they'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-i-first-started-to-get-into-writing-it-was-via-music-i-d/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [I tend to work on a song, generate ideas, and re-arrange it like five times, and I'm glad I take the time to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britta-phillips/i-tend-to-work-on-a-song-generate-ideas-and-re-arrange-it-like-five/) [Britta Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britta-phillips/) > [“Divergent thinking is that one starts thinking from one point and expands from there to generate more ideas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/divergent-thinking-is-that-one-starts-thinking-from-one-point-and/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [“You have two options. work on someone else's ideas and make some money or generate ideas make them work and become a millionaire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-llamas/you-have-two-options-work-on-someone-else-s-ideas-and-make-some-money/) [Roberto Llamas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-llamas/) > [Don't cheat people of their growth. Empower them to solve problems and generate ideas. Watch them grow!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/don-t-cheat-people-of-their-growth-empower-them-to-solve-problems-and/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I am very focused on large-scale deployments of renewable power and how we're going to get this done. Imagine our military bases covered with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcdonough/i-am-very-focused-on-large-scale-deployments-of-renewable-power-and/) [William McDonough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcdonough/) > [I generate a lot of good vibrations, good energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-kreischer/i-generate-a-lot-of-good-vibrations-good-energy/) [Bert Kreischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-kreischer/) ## More by Twyla Tharp > [“A lot of habitually creative people have preparation rituals linked to the setting in which they choose to start their day. By putting themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/a-lot-of-habitually-creative-people-have-preparation-rituals-linked/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I have learned over the years that you should never save for two meetings what you can accomplish in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-have-learned-over-the-years-that-you-should-never-save-for-two/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I always find that the best collaborations are when you work with people that know what they're doing, and you leave them alone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-always-find-that-the-best-collaborations-are-when-you-work-with/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I don't mean this, but I'm going to say it anyway. I don't really think of pop art and serious art as being that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-don-t-mean-this-but-i-m-going-to-say-it-anyway-i-don-t-really-think/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [The art of these Fifties movies was in sustaining forever the moment before sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/the-art-of-these-fifties-movies-was-in-sustaining-forever-the-moment/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [This is not a pleasant route for many young people to consider. You have to be either hopelessly passionate, or very stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/this-is-not-a-pleasant-route-for-many-young-people-to-consider-you/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I often say that in making dances I can make a world where I think things are done morally, done democratically, done honestly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-often-say-that-in-making-dances-i-can-make-a-world-where-i-think/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I had received my first establishment grants in response to applications filed the year before. To the pages of baffling forms I had simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-had-received-my-first-establishment-grants-in-response-to/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I find the aesthetics of the 20th century hopelessly barren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-find-the-aesthetics-of-the-20th-century-hopelessly-barren/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I don't think that scheduling is uncreative. I think that structure is required for creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-don-t-think-that-scheduling-is-uncreative-i-think-that-structure-is/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I have always felt one of the things dance should do - its business being so clearly physical - is challenge the culture's gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-have-always-felt-one-of-the-things-dance-should-do-its-business/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [There really is nothing I ever had access to that I didn't appreciate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/there-really-is-nothing-i-ever-had-access-to-that-i-didn-t-appreciate/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Destiny, quite often, is a determined parent. Mozart was hardly some naive prodigy who sat down at the keyboard and, with God whispering in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/destiny-quite-often-is-a-determined-parent-mozart-was-hardly-some/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [When it all comes together, a creative life has the nourishing power we normally associate with food, love and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/when-it-all-comes-together-a-creative-life-has-the-nourishing-power/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Things change all the time, so why do people make such a philosophical to-do that things are constantly in transition?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/things-change-all-the-time-so-why-do-people-make-such-a-philosophical/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) [Explore all 298 Twyla Tharp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper, brush to canvas... when you actually do something physical.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Twyla Tharp" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put-pencil-to-paper-brush-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actually" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put-pencil-to-paper-brush-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/twyla-tharp-1069_actually_you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put_2515729.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/twyla-tharp-1069_actually_you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put_2515729.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/twyla-tharp-1069_actually_you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put_2515729.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper, brush to canvas... when you actually do something…” — Twyla Tharp", "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": "Twyla Tharp", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can only generate ideas when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put-pencil-to-paper-brush-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/you-can-only-generate-ideas-when-you-put-pencil-to-paper-brush-to/#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 } } ] } ```