"Genius is the ability to renew one's emotions in daily experience"

Genius, as Paul Cézanne describes, resides not simply in intellect or technical skill, but in the perpetual rejuvenation of one’s emotional response to ordinary life. For Cézanne, artistic brilliance is not the sole property of those who create grand works or alter the course of history; rather, it dwells within anyone capable of experiencing the familiar with renewed wonder and feeling. In daily existence, routines and repeated experiences easily dull our senses, causing us to look past the beauty and significance of what surrounds us. The genius, however, resists this numbing. Through an intentional act of mindfulness, curiosity, and emotional openness, such a person continually rediscovers freshness, complexity, and vibrancy in the commonplace.

The ability to renew emotions suggests a flexible spirit, willing to shed habitual responses and approach each moment as though it were genuinely new. It is a kind of childlike perceptiveness, yet fused with adult awareness. Where others see the mundane, the genius finds sources of inspiration: the shifting light on a wall, the subtle tenor of a conversation, the sensation of rain. Each experience becomes an opportunity for engagement and insight. This quality is essential not only for the artist, but for anyone seeking a deeper connection to life. By reviving our emotional engagement, we foster creativity, prevent stagnation, and nurture empathy.

Cézanne implies that this ability is cultivated, rather than innate. It is a process requiring conscious effort: to notice, to feel, and to imagine anew. In practice, this can mean viewing setbacks as sources of growth, or letting joy and awe punctuate even repetitive days. The world does not change, our orientation toward it does. Such renewal generates vitality and wisdom, qualities that shape true genius. For Cézanne, continuous emotional renewal is not just a trait but a practice; it is how one lives a profoundly creative and authentic life.