The one idea we all carry: How art, poetry, and creativity shape our lives

“The artist has but one idea; he is born with it and spends a lifetime developing it and making it breathe.”
—Henri Matisse

Perhaps this isn’t just true for artists but for all of us. Maybe each of us carries a singular, lifelong idea—whether we’re fully conscious of it or not. It whispers to us through dreams, recurring images, and the quiet moments of pause when the world slows down. This hazy yet persistent idea tugs at us, asking to be noticed, shaped, and expressed.

Stanley Kunitz once observed that poets spend their lives working with the same key image, returning to it again and again in their writings. At some level, aren’t we all poets and artists? We are all drawn to certain images, patterns, and themes that resonate deeply. Whether it’s through words, relationships, or the way we move through the world, we are constantly working to give life to the ideas that speak to us.

Even if we don’t fully understand it, this ongoing work—this honoring of what stirs us—is our gift to the world. It’s the process of making something breathe, of bringing forth the unique imprint of our soul. And that, perhaps, is the essence of creativity and meaning.