A man sets out to draw the world. As the years go by, he peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, instruments, stars, horses, and individuals. A short time before he dies, he discovers that the patient labyrinth of lines traces the lineaments of his own face.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A man spends his life mapping the world, only to realize the map resembles his own face.
- In plain terms
- We project our inner world onto reality and eventually see ourselves in the patterns we create.
- What can you take from it?
- Creation often reveals the creator's hidden self.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What does your work say about you without you intending it?
- Are you drawing the world or yourself?
Another view
It assumes all creative work is purely autobiographical rather than observational.
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The flattery of posterity is not worth much more than contemporary flattery, which is worth nothing.
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