"Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art"

This quote by Claude Debussy talks to the idea that imagination and artistry are not bound by rules or conventions. Debussy is suggesting that works of art are produced by the artist, and the guidelines that govern them are produced afterwards. This implies that the artist is totally free to create whatever they desire, without having to comply with any pre-existing rules or conventions. It likewise indicates that the rules that are created afterwards are not always the same as the ones that the artist used to produce the work of art. This quote motivates artists to be innovative and to believe outside the box, instead of being constrained by guidelines and conventions. It likewise acts as a suggestion that art is a form of expression, which it should be permitted to be as distinct and private as the artist who developed it.