“The artist, in turn, sacrifices his leisure, the pleasure of being vague, of drifting half-present or merging unconsciously with the terrain. For the artist is driven, is one apart… [They] must be aware, dogged, unable to relax. That is how this artist travels. And only after the images emerge.. can she say, ‘This is good.’

“And why is it good? For its own sake. For magnifying the artist’s process. For exalting the principles of nature, the acquired wisdom of man and that to which he aspires – illumination.”

Patti Smith

From post: Patti Smith and her ongoing journey as an artist: ‘I have a million ideas’