Who knows better than artists how much ugliness there is on the way to beauty, how many ghastly, mortifying missteps, how many days of granitic blockheadedness and dismaying ineptitude there is on the way to accomplishment, how partial all accomplishment is, how incomplete?

In this quote, Tony Kushner, an acclaimed playwright and screenwriter, reflects on the complex and often painful process of creation and artistic achievement. He acknowledges that ugliness, mistakes, and ineptitude are inherent parts of the journey toward beauty and accomplishment. Kushner suggests that artists are acutely aware of the struggle and frustration involved in their work, with many missteps and moments of doubt along the way.

Kushner’s use of words like “ghastly” and “mortifying missteps” underscores the difficulty and vulnerability that artists often experience. The path to creating something beautiful or meaningful is rarely smooth or free of failure. Instead, it is often marked by moments of blockheadedness and disappointment, where progress seems slow or non-existent. This raw honesty about the artistic process highlights how grueling and uncertain the creative journey can be.

The mention of how partial and incomplete accomplishment is speaks to the idea that even when an artist reaches a form of success or completion, it is often only a small step in the larger, more ongoing process of growth and creation. Art, in Kushner's view, is never truly finished or perfect—there is always more to explore, refine, or express. This sense of imperfection is part of what makes art so human and relatable, as artists continually grapple with their own limitations and strive for something greater.

Ultimately, Kushner’s quote reflects the difficult and unfinished nature of artistic work. By acknowledging the ugliness and struggle that come with the creative process, he emphasizes that true achievement in art is not about avoiding mistakes or reaching a final destination, but about embracing the ongoing, often imperfect journey of creation.