Hitchcock on happiness

“A clear horizon — nothing to worry about on your plate, only things that are creative and not destructive…”

“I can’t bear quarreling, I can’t bear feelings between people — I think hatred is wasted energy, and it’s all non-productive. I’m very sensitive — a sharp word, said by a person, say, who has a temper, if they’re close to me, hurts me for days.”

“I know we’re only human, we do go in for these various emotions, call them negative emotions, but when all these are removed and you can look forward and the road is clear ahead, and now you’re going to create something — I think that’s as happy as I’ll ever want to be.”

~ Alfred Hitchcock on the secret of happiness.

My students in NTU often ask: “How do you become more creative?” My answer is usually: “Gather more ideas so you can combine them in new ways. Then keep making stuff to test your new ideas.”

Now, I will add in Hitchcock’s quote, because creativity often springs from happiness and positivity. People often get the idea that you have to be upset, angsty or angry to be creative, but that sort of creativity does not help build up people.

So, be happy, and your creativity will blossom. I think I will spend the next few posts writing about being happy.

(Dancing cats generated by me in Midjourney)