--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That talk of inspiration is sheer…" description: "\"That talk of inspiration is sheer nonsense; there is no such thing. It is a mere matter of craftsmanship.\" — William Morris" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-morris-4229_craftsmanship_that-talk-of-inspiration-is-sheer-nonsen_2965765.jpg" --- # That talk of inspiration is sheer nonsense; there is no… ![“That talk of inspiration is sheer nonsense; there is no such thing. It is a mere matter of craftsmanship.” quote by William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-morris-4229_craftsmanship_that-talk-of-inspiration-is-sheer-nonsen_2965765.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-morris-4229_craftsmanship_that-talk-of-inspiration-is-sheer-nonsen_2965765.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-morris-4229_craftsmanship_that-talk-of-inspiration-is-sheer-nonsen_2965765.jpg) > “That talk of inspiration is sheer nonsense; there is no such thing. It is a mere matter of craftsmanship.” [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inspiration is dismissed as nonsense; true creation comes from skillful craftsmanship rather than fleeting ideas. **In simple terms:** Craftsmanship, not inspiration, drives creation. Key Takeaway Focus on developing skill. Themes craftsmanship inspiration creativity skepticism Mood pragmatic critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - artisan workshops - creative projects - skill training - design studios Key Concepts artistry work ethic philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Can skill be learned without inspiration? - How does inspiration influence craftsmanship? A Different Perspective Inspiration can still motivate learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Craftsmanship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craftsmanship/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) ## Related quotes > [All this talk about inspiration and moment is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-husain/all-this-talk-about-inspiration-and-moment-is-nonsense/) [M. F. Husain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-husain/) > [Who can really say how decisions are made, how emotions change, how ideas arise? We talk about inspiration; about a bolt of lightnng from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ajvide-lindqvist/who-can-really-say-how-decisions-are-made-how-emotions-change-how/) [John Ajvide Lindqvist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ajvide-lindqvist/) > [When you talk about inspiration, I draw inspiration from life. The people that I work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-brewer/when-you-talk-about-inspiration-i-draw-inspiration-from-life-the/) [Jamie Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-brewer/) > [Indeed, the field of Holocaust studies is replete with nonsense if not sheer fraud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/indeed-the-field-of-holocaust-studies-is-replete-with-nonsense-if-not/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) > [While all men are born as equals, to say that Brahmins alone are the highest and all others are low as Pariah (the Untouchables)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/while-all-men-are-born-as-equals-to-say-that-brahmins-alone-are-the/) [Periyar E. V. Ramasamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/) > [Stanley Kubrick, I had been told, hates interviews. It's hard to know what to expect of the man if you've only seen his films.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cahill/stanley-kubrick-i-had-been-told-hates-interviews-it-s-hard-to-know/) [Tim Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cahill/) > [“The instruction here is not for every kind of writer - not for the writer of nurse books or thrillers or porno or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/the-instruction-here-is-not-for-every-kind-of-writer-not-for-the/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“A kilt swings with the wind and stands firm in spirit—Scottish soul in every fold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haider-ali-bajwa/a-kilt-swings-with-the-wind-and-stands-firm-in-spirit-scottish-soul/) Haider Ali Bajwa > [I am very much interested in the so-called useless object. I mean, it takes perfect craftsmanship, beautiful material carefully measured and crafted, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-am-very-much-interested-in-the-so-called-useless-object-i-mean-it/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [“What if the link or key to healing was through finding your unique personal creative outlet?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dennis-evans/what-if-the-link-or-key-to-healing-was-through-finding-your-unique/) Michelle Dennis Evans > [Faulkner is a writer who has had much to do with my soul, but Hemingway is the one who had the most to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/faulkner-is-a-writer-who-has-had-much-to-do-with-my-soul-but/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [What's important is the way we say it. Art is all about craftsmanship. Others can interpret craftsmanship as style if they wish. Style is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/what-s-important-is-the-way-we-say-it-art-is-all-about-craftsmanship/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > [Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/skill-without-imagination-is-craftsmanship-and-gives-us-many-useful/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [There is in Albert Camus’ literary craftsmanship a seductive intelligence that could almost make a reader dismiss his philosophical intentions if he had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/there-is-in-albert-camus-literary-craftsmanship-a-seductive/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [“A small compromise leads to another small compromise, and finally we wind up doing something that we do not really love. It's a sneaky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-krenov/a-small-compromise-leads-to-another-small-compromise-and-finally-we/) James Krenov ## More by William Morris > [I can't enter into politico-social subjects with any interest, for on the whole, I see that things are in a muddle, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-can-t-enter-into-politico-social-subjects-with-any-interest-for-on/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [...If our houses, or clothes, our household furniture and utensils are not works of art, they are either wretched makeshifts, or, what is worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/if-our-houses-or-clothes-our-household-furniture-and-utensils-are-not/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“Do not be deceived by the outside appearance of order in our plutocratic society. It fares with it as it does with the older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/do-not-be-deceived-by-the-outside-appearance-of-order-in-our/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [I do not want art for a few any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-do-not-want-art-for-a-few-any-more-than-education-for-a-few-or/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [I half wish that I had not been born with a sense of romance and beauty in this accursed age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-half-wish-that-i-had-not-been-born-with-a-sense-of-romance-and/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [In Prison Wearily, drearily, Half the day long, Flap the great banners High over the stone; Strangely and eerily Sounds the wind's song, Bending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/in-prison-wearily-drearily-half-the-day-long-flap-the-great-banners/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Free men must live simple lives and have simple pleasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/free-men-must-live-simple-lives-and-have-simple-pleasures/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“Now let us go, love, down the winding stair, With fingers intertwined...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/now-let-us-go-love-down-the-winding-stair-with-fingers-intertwined/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Between complete socialism and communism there is no difference whatever in my mind.Communism is in fact the completion of socialism; when that ceases to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/between-complete-socialism-and-communism-there-is-no-difference/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“October O love, turn from the changing sea and gaze, Down these grey slopes, upon the year grown old, A-dying 'mid the autumn-scented haze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/october-o-love-turn-from-the-changing-sea-and-gaze-down-these-grey/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [The wind is not helpless for any man's need, Nor falleth the rain but for thistle and weed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/the-wind-is-not-helpless-for-any-man-s-need-nor-falleth-the-rain-but/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [“Have nothing in your house you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/have-nothing-in-your-house-you-do-not-know-to-be-useful-or-believe-to/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Simplicity of life, even the barest, is not a misery, but the very foundation of refinement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/simplicity-of-life-even-the-barest-is-not-a-misery-but-the-very/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-pondered-all-these-things-and-how-men-fight-and-lose-the-battle-and/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [Happy as we are, times may alter; we may be bitten with some impulse towards change, and many things may seem too wonderful for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/happy-as-we-are-times-may-alter-we-may-be-bitten-with-some-impulse/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) [Explore all 114 William Morris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) ## More Craftsmanship quotes > [“The instruction here is not for every kind of writer - not for the writer of nurse books or thrillers or porno or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/the-instruction-here-is-not-for-every-kind-of-writer-not-for-the/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“A kilt swings with the wind and stands firm in spirit—Scottish soul in every fold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haider-ali-bajwa/a-kilt-swings-with-the-wind-and-stands-firm-in-spirit-scottish-soul/) Haider Ali Bajwa > [I am very much interested in the so-called useless object. I mean, it takes perfect craftsmanship, beautiful material carefully measured and crafted, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-am-very-much-interested-in-the-so-called-useless-object-i-mean-it/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/skill-without-imagination-is-craftsmanship-and-gives-us-many-useful/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Stanley Kubrick, I had been told, hates interviews. It's hard to know what to expect of the man if you've only seen his films.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cahill/stanley-kubrick-i-had-been-told-hates-interviews-it-s-hard-to-know/) [Tim Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cahill/) > [There is in Albert Camus’ literary craftsmanship a seductive intelligence that could almost make a reader dismiss his philosophical intentions if he had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/there-is-in-albert-camus-literary-craftsmanship-a-seductive/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [“A small compromise leads to another small compromise, and finally we wind up doing something that we do not really love. It's a sneaky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-krenov/a-small-compromise-leads-to-another-small-compromise-and-finally-we/) James Krenov > [What's important is the way we say it. Art is all about craftsmanship. Others can interpret craftsmanship as style if they wish. Style is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/what-s-important-is-the-way-we-say-it-art-is-all-about-craftsmanship/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > [Faulkner is a writer who has had much to do with my soul, but Hemingway is the one who had the most to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/faulkner-is-a-writer-who-has-had-much-to-do-with-my-soul-but/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“What if the link or key to healing was through finding your unique personal creative outlet?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dennis-evans/what-if-the-link-or-key-to-healing-was-through-finding-your-unique/) Michelle Dennis Evans > [Art that submits to orthodoxy, to even the soundest doctrines, but lacks imagination and deep self-expression is lost leaving only the craftsmanship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/art-that-submits-to-orthodoxy-to-even-the-soundest-doctrines-but/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [My uncles represented a strength and a power I think that to a certain degree I looked up to. But from another perspective, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-herron/my-uncles-represented-a-strength-and-a-power-i-think-that-to-a/) [Willie Herron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-herron/) > [Lies can be wonderful things, and when a lie is told artfully, if it's done with a degree of craftsmanship, I can't help but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/lies-can-be-wonderful-things-and-when-a-lie-is-told-artfully-if-it-s/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [ “Oculus\[2,3,8,12,8,6\] = \[14,2,10,7,5\] = \[12,2,3,17\] = \[14,12,13\] = \[1,15\] = 14, Box Model For Paisbox Molecular Portal \[phirand, ring, circlet, diadem, itemizer, abstracter\] Attributes=… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-roy-mckinney-gero-eagleo2/oculus-2-3-8-12-8-6-14-2-10-7-5-12-2-3-17-14-12-13-1-15-14-box-model/) Jonathan Roy Mckinney Gero EagleO2 > [“Postpone, not because you are being lazy. Postpone, only because you want to appear in a grand style.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/postpone-not-because-you-are-being-lazy-postpone-only-because-you/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) [Browse all 144 Craftsmanship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craftsmanship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That talk of inspiration is sheer nonsense; there is no such thing. 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