A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must

Abraham Maslow, seeker of human truth and student of the soul, once declared: “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.” In these words, he revealed the essence of his great philosophy—that man is not satisfied by survival alone, nor by wealth, nor even by comfort, but by the fulfillment of his highest calling. For within every soul burns a flame, a gift that demands expression. To deny that flame is to live in torment; to honor it is to walk in harmony with oneself.

The ancients knew this truth well. They spoke of the daemon, the inner spirit that guides each man or woman toward their destiny. Socrates himself confessed that he heard a voice within that directed his path. The Greeks called it telos—the end or purpose for which each being is born. The bird must sing, the river must flow, the star must shine. In the same way, the musician must make music, the artist must paint, the poet must write. For to silence one’s gift is to rebel against nature itself.

Consider the life of Vincent van Gogh. Though wracked with poverty and despair, though scorned in his own time, he painted with relentless fire. He could not stop, even when the world offered no reward, even when his body and mind were frail. Why? Because the artist within him demanded expression. To deny his brush would have been to deny his own being. Though he died with little recognition, he remained faithful to his gift, and through that faithfulness, his soul found the only peace it could know. And today, the world beholds his canvases as treasures beyond measure.

So too with Beethoven, who, though struck by the cruel silence of deafness, could not abandon the music within him. Even when he could no longer hear the notes with his ears, he heard them in his spirit. To have forsaken them would have been to betray his essence. And so, out of that silence, he gave the world symphonies that thunder with eternal power. This is Maslow’s truth: peace is not found in ease or avoidance, but in the courageous honoring of one’s inner necessity.

The wisdom of this quote also warns us of a great danger: the tragedy of a life unlived. Many turn away from their gifts, seduced by comfort or chained by fear. They silence the poet within, they bury the artist, they hush the musician, thinking the sacrifice will bring security. But such souls often find no rest, for the heart that is denied its purpose grows restless, resentful, and weary. Maslow teaches that the greatest suffering is not failure, but the refusal to attempt what one was born to do.

The lesson is clear: listen for the voice within you. Do not ask whether the world will reward it, or whether it will be easy, but whether it is true. If you were made to write, then write. If you were made to teach, then teach. If you were made to heal, then heal. Peace comes not from riches or acclaim, but from fidelity to the task for which your spirit was created.

Practical wisdom follows: each day, give time to your gift. Even in small ways, practice what calls to your soul. Do not let the duties of life smother the song within you. Begin humbly, but begin. For every step you take in alignment with your calling strengthens you, heals you, and brings you closer to harmony. The world may or may not notice, but your heart will, and in that alignment you will find the peace Maslow speaks of.

So remember his words: “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write…” Carry them as law carved into your soul. For in honoring your gift, you honor life itself. And when your final day comes, you will not leave this world restless or unfulfilled, but at peace, knowing you have lived as you were truly meant to live.