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I don't think in art there is ever a precedent; each moment is a new one and terrifying and threatening and bursting with hope.
Martha Graham
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Each artistic moment is unique and filled with both challenges and possibilities.

Martha Graham emphasizes the idea that in art, every moment presents a fresh and daunting opportunity. She suggests that instead of relying on past examples or precedents, artists should embrace the uncertainty and excitement of creating something new, which is filled with potential hope and inspiration.

Themes

ArtCreativityMomentHopeUnique

In practice

Example use cases

In an art class, while discussing the value of originality, I shared this quote to encourage students to embrace their own creative journeys.

More from Martha Graham

The body says what words cannot.
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Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
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Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it.
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What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.
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No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a strange, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
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The body is your instrument in dance, but your art is outside that creature, the body.
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