walking on water

“The writer does want to be published; the painter urgently hopes that someone will see the finished canvas (van Gogh was denied that satisfaction of having his work bought and appreciated during his life time; no wonder the pain was more than he could bear); the composer needs his music to be heard. Art is communication, and if there is no communication it is as thought the work had been still-born. The reader, viewer, listener, usually grossly underestimates his importance. If a reader cannot create a book along with the writer, the book will never come to life. Creative involvement: that's the basic difference between reading a book and watching TV.”

-Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle