"But inspiration? - That's when you come home from abroad and are asked: Well, have you found inspiration? - and fortunately you haven't. But the impressions sink in, of course, and may emerge later: None of us has invented the house; that was done many thousands of years ago"
- Arne Jacobsen
About this Quote
This quote by Arne Jacobsen talks to the concept of inspiration and how it is frequently searched for when one returns from a journey abroad. He recommends that while one might not discover inspiration on their travels, the impressions they take away from the experience will ultimately lead to something imaginative. He uses the example of the house, which was developed many thousands of years ago, to illustrate this point. He suggests that the idea of your house was not something that was created in one moment of motivation, but rather something that was gradually developed in time through the build-up of impressions and experiences. This quote talks to the idea that inspiration is not something that can be discovered in one moment, but rather something that is gradually developed with time.
"One has children in the expectation of dying before them. In fact, you want to make damn sure you die before them, just as you plant a tree or build a house knowing, hoping that it will outlive you. That's how the human species has done as well as it has"
"Well, I think any time you delve into this sort of religion, politics, as you well know, you're going to, you know, touch a few nerves. I wasn't - now - and this is the honest truth"
