Quote and Comment – Sanford

Art happens through a combination of intention and surrender. – Diana Sanford

My friend and fellow writer, Jim Knapp, emailed me this quote a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been noodling on it since—two elements in the making of art, intention and surrender. And these are applied in combination.

In my process, a novel-in-progress consists of two documents: the manuscript and an outline (not an outline in the traditional sense, but a guiding document, metawriting—writing about the writing). As I proceed through a project, these two documents inform each other. Sometimes the outline guides the manuscript. This is intention. Often, however, the manuscript reveals an unforeseen element of the story or a facet of character. This is surrender.

This combination or balance is essential and unpredictable. Art isn’t created to a specification. It’s a craft. The product it renders evolves, via drafts, and is unknown in any meaningful detail until the moment of its making.

Diana Sanford’s recipe for art. I agree. In combination these two ingredients bring the goods.