Ten Quotes From MacArthur Fellows on Creativity

On Thursday, October 4, we’ll announce the 2018 class of MacArthur Fellows, talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits. The MacArthur Fellowship is a $625,000, no-strings-attached award to extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential.

MacArthur Fellows work in a wide a variety of creative, intellectual, and professional pursuits. We gathered thoughts from a small group of Fellows on creativity and where they find inspiration.

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“I generally never model a major character after myself. I think that would stifle the creative spark; I need to be able to see my characters as being apart from me…only then can I let them grow and free them to take risks and free myself to let them take those risks.”–Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“I notice different things and try to integrate meaning and layers of understanding into my films. I like creative challenges, and don’t look for universal appeal but distinct ways to connect the audience to my films.”–Documentary Filmmaker Natalia Almada

“I find a lot of creative inspiration in music, and I consider the local jazz club to be my ‘thinking room,’ where I go listen to the music and clear my mind.”–Photographer Dawoud Bey

“One way to fight back is with creativity, but to do that you have to look at the situation head-on. You can’t run from it. I would’ve never been able to succeed if I ran from the poverty in Braddock. Instead, I went through it with my camera to analyze the situation as it unfolded.”–Photographer and Video Artist LaToya Ruby Frazier

“My whole art has really been about trying to figure out the full range of what a human being can be and trying to kind of combat this concept that subtlety is authenticity. Expressing the full range of who you are is really citizenship.”–Performance Artist Taylor Mac

“If you ask my friends and family, they will say I’m no genius. I do not see myself as a genius…But I do see myself as someone who has been creative in my path and has been enabled by really generous people who have worked with me on great opportunities.”–Microbiologist Dianne Newman

“It’s important to diversify your life in terms of the scientists you interact with across different fields. This leads to discoveries in unexpected ways.”–Geobiologist Victoria Orphan

“The creative process for me is like, I’m a fish, and the spirit is a fisher…I take the bait, and that’s always the beginning.”–Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks

“Historians don’t have inspiration with blinding flashes of light. The key is not to start with large ambitious ideas but to start with small scale ideas that emerge from minor materials.”–Historian Derek Peterson

“I surround myself with very good people and talk to them a lot. People with any level of experience. That’s also why I think diversity should be encouraged.”–Immunologist Gabriel Victoria