# Discovery Before Creation by Ahmad Jamal > “I don’t believe that we create; we discover.” > **— Ahmad Jamal**, *Simple Reminders on Real American Pride* ## Sources and Context - **Direct or authoritative text:** [Ahmad Jamal Oral History Transcript — Smithsonian Institution](https://mads.si.edu/mads/id/NMAH-AC0808_Jamal_Ahmad_Transcript) - **Series source and editorial context:** [[american/American Ethos - Simple Reminders on Real American Pride|Simple Reminders on Real American Pride]] — entry 100, “Discovery Before Creation.” - **Why it belongs:** The American artist is presented as an explorer attentive enough to find what others have not yet heard. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/American|American Collection]] - **Series source:** [[american/American Ethos - Simple Reminders on Real American Pride|Simple Reminders on Real American Pride]] - **American route:** [[american/American Aesthetic - The American Spirit Aesthetic|The American Spirit]] - **American route:** [[american/American Ethos - Civic Literacy|Discernment]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/American Spirit|American Spirit]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “I don’t believe that we create; we discover.” — Ahmad Jamal, Simple Reminders on Real American Pride https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-real-american-pride-100-discovery-before-creation ```