Morris, William: An address delivered by William Morris at the distribution of prizes to students of the Birmingham Municipal School of Art on Feb. 21, 1894 (London, 1898)

Birming/ sire to create works of art* And in the first place let
ham School medwelluponthesewords: An irrepressible desire
of Art; 1894* to create* I always have warned, and always shall
warn, when I have the opportunity,young people
against looking on the practice of the arts as a mere
professions career to be chosen for the earningof
livelihood* I am often consulted on this point, and
my answer is always the same: * If you are quite
sure that you have got in you the irrepressible de^
sire, you need no test of capacity to begin with;
you will yourself know that you have in you some
power of creation; in that case do not hesitate, but
throw yourself into it for better or worse, and take
what will come* But if you do not feel that you have
the capacity or desire, then,by all means, if you can,
study Art as a recreation or a piece of education,
but do not pledge yourself to live by it; for, if you
do, you will be a burden to Art, & will, if you have
the insight which a serious person ought to have,
feel yourself to be in a false and ignominious posi^
tion/ Now, this warning is more necessary than
you may think, because most men who have any
character or strength of will, can, by concentration
and diligence,learn the practice of aprofessionfor
which they are not really fit; 3C this very common/
ly happens in the arts, and produces men who, as
far as the arts are concerned, are mere mechanic
cal pretenders, though not necessarily so wilfully*
So, I say, make yourself sure that you have in you
the essentials of an artist before you study Art as
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