Standards are always out of date. That's what makes them standards.
Alan BennettRead
I was an only child. I lost both my parents. By the time I was twenty I was bald. I'm homosexual. In the way of circumstances and background to transcend I had everything an artist could possibly want. It was practically a blueprint.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Despite facing personal hardships, the author found inspiration and a unique perspective to create art.
In this quote, Alan Bennett reflects on his challenging childhood and personal struggles, such as losing his parents and being bald at a young age, which he believes provided him with a distinctive foundation for his artistic expression. He suggests that these experiences, rather than hindering him, equipped him with the insights necessary to transcend his circumstances and forge a unique identity as an artist.
Themes
ArtStruggleIdentityInspirationOvercoming
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the influences of personal experiences on creativity, this quote can serve as a powerful illustration.
More from Alan Bennett
All quotes →To begin with, it's true, she read with trepidation and some unease. The sheer endlessness of books outfaced her and she had no idea how to go on; there was no system to her reading, with one book leading to another, and often she had two or three on the go at the same time.
Alan BennettRead
A book is a device to ignite the imagination.
Alan BennettRead
Those who have known the famous are publicly debriefed of their memories, knowing as their own dusk falls that they will only be remembered for remembering someone else.
Alan BennettRead
To read is to withdraw.To make oneself unavailable. One would feel easier about it if the pursuit inself were less...selfish.
Alan BennettRead
The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours
Alan BennettRead
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