That archetypal American inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, reportedly said genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
When the Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844 – 1908) was hailed as a genius, he quipped, “A genius! For 37 years, I’ve practised fourteen hours a day, and now they call me a genius!”
The Irish writer James Joyce meets a friend in a bar. The friend asks how he is doing.
“I’m exhausted,” Joyce says.
“Why?” the friend enquires. “What did you do today?”
“I wrote a sentence,” Joyce says.
