"A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened"

Albert Camus reflects on the nature of creative and existential pursuit, suggesting that all human effort, particularly creative work, is fundamentally a journey back to the core experiences of early life. He emphasizes the slow and winding path individuals travel, shaped by the “detours of art,” implying that artistic creation is not a straightforward process but one filled with experimentation, failure, and discovery. Through these detours, the artist wanders but is ultimately guided by a yearning to return to a lost simplicity.

Camus points to the “two or three great and simple images” encountered in the formative years of each person, images so powerful and primal that they awakened the heart for the first time. These are not images in the literal sense alone, but can be moments, emotions, landscapes, relationships, or feelings, profound experiences that, by virtue of their immediacy and depth, sparked wonder, vulnerability, or love. The “heart first opened” in their presence, signifying an awakening to life's beauty, fragility, or richness.

The passage acknowledges the paradoxical nature of artistic endeavor. Despite the complexity involved in creating art or undertaking any lifelong work, the ultimate motivation is simple and rooted in the deepest recesses of memory and emotion. All the sophistication, technique, and innovation serve a humble quest: to encounter again the innocence and awe that marked the beginning of one’s personal consciousness. Such images cannot be recreated exactly but only rediscovered and rekindled through acts of creation.

Camus thus views art not as an escape or mere novelty, but as a return, a reconnection with the essential truths and feelings that once moved the self most profoundly. The journey required is long, marked by detours and obstacles, but the destination is a humble yet significant rediscovery of what first made life and experience vibrant and meaningful.