Creativity Quote by Chris Squire

“Pull the good out of it and not worry about the drawbacks” has the blunt practicality of a working musician’s survival tactic. Chris Squire wasn’t paid to be a philosopher; he was paid to keep a band moving, keep a sound intact, keep momentum in the face of personalities, deadlines, dodgy gear, and the slow grind of touring. The line lands because it refuses the romantic myth that great art requires perfect conditions. It’s a credo for making things anyway.

The intent is less “positive thinking” than triage. “Pull” implies effort, even force: the good isn’t handed to you, you extract it from the mess. And “not worry” doesn’t mean ignorance; it’s a decision to starve the drawbacks of attention. In creative ecosystems, drawbacks can become a kind of glamorous currency: the feud, the label drama, the bad review, the technical limitations that allegedly “ruined” the record. Squire’s phrasing rejects that theater. The subtext is discipline: focus is finite, so spend it where it compounds.

In context, it reads like the long-view attitude of someone who helped keep Yes functioning across decades of lineup changes and shifting tastes. Progressive rock practically invites perfectionism; its fans can turn minor flaws into lawsuits against history. Squire’s maxim cuts through that. It’s how you keep playing, keep listening, keep building: treat setbacks as background noise, and salvage what’s usable before the moment passes.