The Soil Must be Fed
The writer can only be fertile if he renews himself
and he can only renew himself if his soul is
constantly enriched by fresh experience.
There is no more fruitful source of this than
the enchanting exploration of the great
literatures of the past. For the production
of a work of art is not the result of a miracle.
It needs preparation.
The soil, be it ever so rich, must be fed.
By taking thought, by deliberate effort,
the artist must enlarge, deepen and diversify
his personality. Then the soil must lie fallow.
Like the bride of Christ, the artist waits for the
illumination that shall bring forth a new spiritual life.
He goes about his ordinary avocations with patience.
the subconscious does its mysterious business; and then,
suddenly springing, you might think from nowhere,
the idea is produced.
But like the corn that was sown on stony ground
it may easily wither away; it must be tended
with anxious care.
All the power of the artist’s mind must be set
to work on it, all his technical skill, all his experience,
and whatever he has in him of character and
individuality, so that with infinite pains he may
present it with the completeness that is fitting to it.
by W. Somerset Maugham, A Writer’s Notebook
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