--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there was a point in the past…" description: "\"I think there was a point in the past when I felt that my options as an artist were either to make race a nonissue and deny its impact on life and just..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/adrian-tomine-11778_art_i-think-there-was-a-point-in-the-past-wh_913101.jpg" --- # I think there was a point in the past when I felt that my… ![“I think there was a point in the past when I felt that my options as an artist were either to make race a nonissue and deny its impact on life and just say, "Don't think of me as an Asian cartoonist. Just think of me as a cartoonist."” quote by Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/adrian-tomine-11778_art_i-think-there-was-a-point-in-the-past-wh_913101.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/adrian-tomine-11778_art_i-think-there-was-a-point-in-the-past-wh_913101.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/adrian-tomine-11778_art_i-think-there-was-a-point-in-the-past-wh_913101.jpg) > “I think there was a point in the past when I felt that my options as an artist were either to make race a nonissue and deny its impact on life and just say, "Don't think of me as an Asian cartoonist. Just think of me as a cartoonist."” [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He challenges artists to confront racial identity rather than ignore it, urging authentic self‑presentation. **In simple terms:** Artists should address race openly, not hide it. Key Takeaway Embrace and express your cultural background in your work. Themes identity race artistic integrity Mood thought‑provoking critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - gallery exhibitions - comic publishing - art school curricula - social media platforms - community workshops Key Concepts cultural representation authenticity media studies Questions to Reflect On - How can artists balance personal identity with broader themes? - Does acknowledging race enhance or restrict artistic reception? A Different Perspective Some may argue that focusing on race can pigeonhole artists or limit universal appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Asian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I think it's best to know about lots of different things besides comics. 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Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [I think that Asian versions of 'ineffabilism' have an advantage over the best-known Western ones, like Schopenhauer's. They are free from the dualistic image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-cooper/i-think-that-asian-versions-of-ineffabilism-have-an-advantage-over/) [David E. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-cooper/) > [I'm definitely more Asian than a lot of people who have never been to Asia. But by blood and by race, they instantly say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-golding/i-m-definitely-more-asian-than-a-lot-of-people-who-have-never-been-to/) [Henry Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-golding/) > [All the Asian people respect me and watch me. But I don't want people to think of me as an Asian player. 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It took many forms: some of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/without-fail-every-cartoonist-that-i-asked-advice-from-bent-over/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I think most cartoonists are solitary, lonely kids who use their work as a way to try to connect with the world. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-think-most-cartoonists-are-solitary-lonely-kids-who-use-their-work/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I get nervous about the effect that the high speed of everything will have on creativity. It's already sad for me to see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-get-nervous-about-the-effect-that-the-high-speed-of-everything-will/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. The work I was pouring out did not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-eisner/before-world-war-ii-i-was-living-a-very-cloistered-existence-as-most/) [Will Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-eisner/) ## More by Adrian Tomine > [I started publishing my comic while I was still living with my parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-started-publishing-my-comic-while-i-was-still-living-with-my-parents/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [The experience of reading a comic should not be the time it takes to turn each page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/the-experience-of-reading-a-comic-should-not-be-the-time-it-takes-to/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [Especially for people of our generation, who really celebrated certain attitudes - the outsider, the loner - it can have a real impact on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/especially-for-people-of-our-generation-who-really-celebrated-certain/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I think in terms of getting new artists who are not in that sort of stereotypical teenage boy demographic; there's been a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-think-in-terms-of-getting-new-artists-who-are-not-in-that-sort-of/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I feel like if people are going to go to the effort to get a stamp and, you know, put it on an envelope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-feel-like-if-people-are-going-to-go-to-the-effort-to-get-a-stamp/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [The first time I did a reading/signing thing at Cody's, the woman who did the introduction said something like that, and I wasn't the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/the-first-time-i-did-a-reading-signing-thing-at-cody-s-the-woman-who/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [Basically, I know there's no turning back the clock, and it's sort of pointless to mourn what has passed, but I don't know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/basically-i-know-there-s-no-turning-back-the-clock-and-it-s-sort-of/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [For a stretch of time, I got really caught up in the idea that what people liked about my work was that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/for-a-stretch-of-time-i-got-really-caught-up-in-the-idea-that-what/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I wanted all the responsibility to rest on the content of the story. I tried to make the visual style almost invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-wanted-all-the-responsibility-to-rest-on-the-content-of-the-story-i/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I was just a guy who did adult or alternative comic books. And then suddenly to be, like, a New Yorker cover artist was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-was-just-a-guy-who-did-adult-or-alternative-comic-books-and-then/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I've always been really impressed with some of the longer graphic novels and thought it would be really amazing if one day I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-ve-always-been-really-impressed-with-some-of-the-longer-graphic/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [There were certainly some people who wanted me to do a feel-good story that affirmed a lot of very commonly held beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/there-were-certainly-some-people-who-wanted-me-to-do-a-feel-good/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [Without fail, every cartoonist that I asked advice from bent over backward to be helpful and encouraging. It took many forms: some of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/without-fail-every-cartoonist-that-i-asked-advice-from-bent-over/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [I'm always pointing things out to native New Yorkers that I think are weird about this place and their culture and all that. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-m-always-pointing-things-out-to-native-new-yorkers-that-i-think-are/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) > [For me, as much about being a parent as it is about being a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/for-me-as-much-about-being-a-parent-as-it-is-about-being-a-child/) [Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) [Explore all 58 Adrian Tomine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/) ## More Art quotes > [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/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [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/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“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 > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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 only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [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/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think there was a point in the past when I felt that my options as an artist were either to make race a nonissue and deny its impact on life and just say, \"Don't think of me as an Asian cartoonist. 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