--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Painting is self-discovery. You arrive at…" description: "\"Painting is self-discovery. You arrive at the image through the act of painting.\" — Adolph Gottlieb" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd8/adolph-gottlieb-45428_discovery_painting-is-self-discovery-you-arrive-at_1015340.jpg" --- # Painting is self-discovery. You arrive at the image… ![“Painting is self-discovery. You arrive at the image through the act of painting.” quote by Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd8/adolph-gottlieb-45428_discovery_painting-is-self-discovery-you-arrive-at_1015340.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd8/adolph-gottlieb-45428_discovery_painting-is-self-discovery-you-arrive-at_1015340.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd8/adolph-gottlieb-45428_discovery_painting-is-self-discovery-you-arrive-at_1015340.jpg) > “Painting is self-discovery. You arrive at the image through the act of painting.” [Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating art is a path to self‑knowledge; the act of painting reveals inner truths. **In simple terms:** Painting reveals who you are. Key Takeaway Use art to explore yourself. Themes creativity self‑discovery process expression Mood contemplative inspiring Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - art therapy - personal growth - creative practice Key Concepts psychology of art introspection Questions to Reflect On - What does your work say about you? - How can you trust the process? A Different Perspective Art may not always provide clear answers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Act Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act-painting-2230163/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Painting Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting-self-2230162/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-discovery/) ## Related quotes > [Something in me knows where I’m going, and - well, painting is a state of being. ... Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/something-in-me-knows-where-i-m-going-and-well-painting-is-a-state-of/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [One must act in painting as in life, directly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/one-must-act-in-painting-as-in-life-directly/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Painting is a kind of call and response. During the act of painting one is listening, paying attention to a self, a voice simultaneously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/squeak-carnwath/painting-is-a-kind-of-call-and-response-during-the-act-of-painting/) [Squeak Carnwath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/squeak-carnwath/) > [You've got to make a person aware of how miserable they really are and show them how happy they can be. Otherwise, why should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-ve-got-to-make-a-person-aware-of-how-miserable-they-really-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Helped are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/helped-are-those-who-are-content-to-be-themselves-they-will-never/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Painting self-portraits without clothes on has also given me some publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleo-moore/painting-self-portraits-without-clothes-on-has-also-given-me-some/) [Cleo Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleo-moore/) > [Action painting has to do with self-creation or self-definition or self-transcendence; but this dissociates it from self-expression, which assumes the acceptance of the ego…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/action-painting-has-to-do-with-self-creation-or-self-definition-or/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Painting and art cannot be taught. 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Every good artist paints what he is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/painting-is-self-discovery-every-good-artist-paints-what-he-is/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [“Making a decision based on fear is like painting a self-portrait of someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-f-glassman/making-a-decision-based-on-fear-is-like-painting-a-self-portrait-of/) [Charles F. Glassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-f-glassman/) > [Painting is a self-disciplined activity that you have to learn by yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romare-bearden/painting-is-a-self-disciplined-activity-that-you-have-to-learn-by/) [Romare Bearden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romare-bearden/) > [The most difficult thing about painting is the self-discipline. When I finish a job, I give myself a few days, but then I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/the-most-difficult-thing-about-painting-is-the-self-discipline-when-i/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [We will never know are full potential unless we push ourselves' to find it its this self discovery that inevitably takes us to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-rice/we-will-never-know-are-full-potential-unless-we-push-ourselves-to/) [Travis Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-rice/) > [“I’ve never been with a boy who hasn’t seen me naked. It’s always the squeaky futon, bear-it-all, turn-off-the-lights quickstep. Don’t chalk it up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-rhodes/i-ve-never-been-with-a-boy-who-hasn-t-seen-me-naked-it-s-always-the/) [Taylor Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-rhodes/) ## More by Adolph Gottlieb > [When I work, I'm thinking in terms of purely visual effects and relations, and any verbal equivalent is something that comes afterwards. But it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-gottlieb/when-i-work-i-m-thinking-in-terms-of-purely-visual-effects-and/) [Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) > [I use color in terms of emotional quality, as a vehicle for feeling... feeling is everything I have experienced or thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-gottlieb/i-use-color-in-terms-of-emotional-quality-as-a-vehicle-for-feeling/) [Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) > [I never use nature as a starting point. I never abstract from nature; I never consciously think of nature when I paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-gottlieb/i-never-use-nature-as-a-starting-point-i-never-abstract-from-nature-i/) [Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) > [“My favorite symbols were those which I didn't understand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-gottlieb/my-favorite-symbols-were-those-which-i-didn-t-understand/) [Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) > [If we depart form tradition, it is out of knowledge, not innocence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-gottlieb/if-we-depart-form-tradition-it-is-out-of-knowledge-not-innocence/) [Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) > [Certain people always say we should go back to nature.I notice they never say we should go forward to nature. 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All primitive expression (like the myths) reveals the constant awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-gottlieb/in-times-of-violence-personal-predilections-for-niceties-of-colour/) [Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) > [I want to express the utmost intensity of the color, bring out the quality, make it expressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-gottlieb/i-want-to-express-the-utmost-intensity-of-the-color-bring-out-the/) [Adolph Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) [Explore all 9 Adolph Gottlieb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-gottlieb/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Painting is self-discovery. 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