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And anyway, if I’d never started choosing, how would I ever have got close again to Ruth and Tommy after all those years?
“That's just what translation is, I think. That's all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they're trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.”
― Babel
― Babel
“Be selfish," he whispered. "Be brave.”
― Babel
― Babel
“It’s not the life I used to imagine for myself either. But it’s the life I have, the only one.”
― Beautiful World, Where Are You
― Beautiful World, Where Are You
“But what would it be like to form a relationship with no preordained shape of any kind? Just to pour the water out and let it fall. I suppose it would take no shape, and run off in all directions”
― Beautiful World, Where Are You
― Beautiful World, Where Are You
“Flaws are human, and the attraction of art is the humanity held in it. If we were machinelike, the art wouldn’t resonate. It would be soulless. With life comes pain, insecurity, and fear. We’re all different and we’re all imperfect, and the imperfections are what makes each of us and our work interesting. We create pieces reflective of who we are, and if insecurity is part of who we are, then our work will have a greater degree of truth in it as a result. The making of art is not a competitive act. Our work is representative of the self. You would be amiss to say, “I’m not up to the challenge.” Yes, you may need to deepen your craft to fully realize your vision. If you’re not up to it, no one else can do it. Only you can. You’re the only one with your voice.”
― The Creative Act: A Way of Being
― The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Cole’s 2025 Year in Books
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