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For me, the original play becomes an historical document: This is where I was when I wrote it, and I have to move on now to something else.
August Wilson
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects the importance of growth and moving forward after creating art.

August Wilson emphasizes how his original work serves as a historical reference point in his life, marking a moment of creativity that he must eventually leave behind to pursue new projects. This sentiment captures the essence of an artist's journey, where each piece of work is a snapshot of a particular time and experience, suggesting that growth and evolution are crucial for continued artistic exploration.

Themes

ArtCreativityGrowthMovementHistory

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on the creative process, one could use this quote to illustrate the evolution of an artist's work.

More from August Wilson

Your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel.
August WilsonRead
I think the blues is the best literature that we as blacks have created since we've been here. I call it our 'sacred book.' What I've attempted to do is to mine that field, to mine those cultural ideas and attitudes and give them to my characters.
August WilsonRead
All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other.
August WilsonRead
I do - very specifically, I remember Bessie Smith; I used to collect 78 records that I would buy from the St Vincent de Paul store at five cents apiece, and I did this indiscriminately. I would just take whatever was there. And I listened to Patti Page and Walter Huston, 'September Song.'
August WilsonRead
I know some things when I start. I know, let's say, that the play is going to be a 1970s or a 1930s play, and it's going to be about a piano, but that's it. I slowly discover who the characters are as I go along.
August WilsonRead
When I first started writing plays I couldn't write good dialogue because I didn't respect how black people talked. I thought that in order to make art out of their dialogue I had to change it, make it into something different. Once I learned to value and respect my characters, I could really hear them. I let them start talking.
August WilsonRead

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A little wisdom, now and then

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