True or False: The only time you are alive is when you are on the wire

The only time you are alive is when you are on the wire. The rest is just waiting.
Flying Wallendas

I read this quote when I was a teen-ager, and loved it. It seemed to apply to me as a writer. In the great movie ALL THAT JAZZ the choreographer protagonist recites it to himself in the mirror–while stoned on ups and downs.

So–what do you think? Is this an accurate portrayal of creativity, or not?