"I find in working always the disturbing intrusion of elements not a part of my most interested vision, and the inevitable obliteration and replacement of this vision by the work itself as it proceeds"

This quote by Edward Hopper talks to the creative process of making art. He is expressing the idea that when he is working on a piece, he is frequently consulted with unexpected components that he did not plan for. These aspects can be disruptive and can trigger his initial vision for the piece to be modified and even replaced. This speaks with the idea that the innovative procedure is unpredictable which the artist should be open to the unforeseen. Hopper is recommending that the work itself can handle a life of its own, and the artist must be willing to support it. This quote is a tip that the imaginative procedure is often unpredictable and that the artist must be open to the unexpected.