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About this quote

What does it mean?
The author claims madness is present in both great art and much bad art.
In plain terms
Madness is found in great art and also in bad art.
What can you take from it?
Accept that creative work often involves instability.

Where it applies

  • critiquing art
  • creating work
  • understanding artists

Putting it to work

  • embracing chaos
  • tolerating flaws
  • studying creativity

Questions to consider

  • Can you separate art from the artist?
  • Is creativity linked to madness?

Another view

Madness is not a requirement for good art.

More from William Saroyan

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  2. Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know.

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  3. The whole world and every human being in it is everybody's business.

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