Creativity is certainly one of the characteristics of the Life Force. And the essence of creativity is a looking forward towards a goal. Creative people need more Life Force. As a group, creative workers—research scientists, inventors, painters, writers, philosophers not only live longer, but remain productive longer than non-creative workers. Michelangelo did some of his best painting when past 80; Goethe wrote Faust when past 80; Edison was still inventing at 90; Picasso, past 75, dominates the art world today; Wright at 90 was still considered the most creative architect; Shaw was still writing plays at 90; Grandma Moses began painting at 79. —Maxwell Maltz

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Thought is not a thing of culture, genius and learning. It is creative. It is an active force of the brain. It is not merely receptive and passive. It notices, compares, sorts over its sensations. It puts two and two together and makes four. It builds up sensations into ideas, and ideas into principles. It is critical and constructive.

Thought invents. It uses the plus and minus method. It adds or substracts. It persists in a series of rearrangements until it produces something new. Invention is not at all a matter of genius—of brilliant inspiration. It is rather a matter of perseverance and concentration. —Herbert N. Casson

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Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.

—Jonathan Swift