Tragedy, for me, is not a conflict between right and wrong, but between two different kinds of right.
Peter ShafferRead
Things rust, you know, like the heart. My cardiologist said, 'It's a pump; use it - that's the sole advice I've got to give you.' It's the same in playwriting. Don't theorise about it. Do it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Creativity and passion require action rather than overthinking.
Peter Shaffer emphasizes that just as physical things can deteriorate without use, so too can talents and passions fade if they are not actively engaged. His cardiologist's advice serves as a metaphor for creative pursuits: to not dwell too much on theory but to actively create and express oneself through art.
Themes
CreativityActionPlaywritingPassionTheory
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on creativity, I quoted Peter Shaffer to inspire participants to take action in their projects.
More from Peter Shaffer
All quotes →I discover what I mean as I write. That can be both terrifically exciting and very dangerous, because when you look at your words later, you wonder, 'Did I really mean that, or am I just making verbal patterns?'
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Rehearsing a play is making the word flesh. Publishing a play is reversing the process.
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The Normal is the good smile in a child’s eyes - all right. It is also the dead stare in a million adults.
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