--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who am I?, the artist asks. And he…" description: "\"Who am I?, the artist asks. And he devotes his whole life to finding out.\" — Agnes de Mille" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/919/agnes-de-mille-14468_art_who-am-i-the-artist-asks-and-he-devotes_3140894.png" --- # Who am I?, the artist asks. And he devotes his whole life… ![“Who am I?, the artist asks. And he devotes his whole life to finding out.” quote by Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/919/agnes-de-mille-14468_art_who-am-i-the-artist-asks-and-he-devotes_3140894.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/919/agnes-de-mille-14468_art_who-am-i-the-artist-asks-and-he-devotes_3140894.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/919/agnes-de-mille-14468_art_who-am-i-the-artist-asks-and-he-devotes_3140894.png) > “Who am I?, the artist asks. And he devotes his whole life to finding out.” [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the artist's lifelong quest for self‑knowledge through creation. **In simple terms:** Artists seek to discover themselves by making art. Key Takeaway Pursue self‑discovery through creative work. Themes identity art self‑exploration Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - painting - dance - writing - personal projects Key Concepts existential inquiry creative process Questions to Reflect On - What does your art reveal about you? - How does questioning identity shape your work? A Different Perspective Self‑discovery may never be complete. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-asks-338313/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Asks Devotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks-devotes-5596108/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Devotes Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devotes-life-1286882/) [Findings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/findings/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Finding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-finding/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) ## Related quotes > [When a young artist asks me a question, I want to do what I can to give them an answer if I have it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tait/when-a-young-artist-asks-me-a-question-i-want-to-do-what-i-can-to/) [Michael Tait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tait/) > [Blessed is he who devotes his life to great and noble ends, and who forms his well-considered plans with deliberate wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/blessed-is-he-who-devotes-his-life-to-great-and-noble-ends-and-who/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [“Blessed is the man who devotes his life to something bigger than himself and finds himself surrounded by friends who share his passion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/blessed-is-the-man-who-devotes-his-life-to-something-bigger-than/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [A man sometimes devotes his life to a desire which he is not sure will ever be fulfilled. Those who laugh at this folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-nosuke-akutagawa/a-man-sometimes-devotes-his-life-to-a-desire-which-he-is-not-sure/) [Ryūnosuke Akutagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-nosuke-akutagawa/) > [My friend devotes himself to his life, whenever he can find the spare time. His motto is: 'Don't just sit there: live!' So he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-l-cohen/my-friend-devotes-himself-to-his-life-whenever-he-can-find-the-spare/) [Marvin L. 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The hard part of life is finding some to love you back!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-easy-part-of-life-is-finding-someone-to-love-you-the-hard-part-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think a lot of young girls go through that period in their life of finding who they are, and at that point, looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-atwood/i-think-a-lot-of-young-girls-go-through-that-period-in-their-life-of/) [Colleen Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-atwood/) > [The best thing in life is finding someone, who knows all your flaws, mistakes and weaknesses and still thinks you're still completely amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uknown/the-best-thing-in-life-is-finding-someone-who-knows-all-your-flaws/) [Uknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uknown/) > [Life is not about finding our limitations, it's about finding our infinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/life-is-not-about-finding-our-limitations-it-s-about-finding-our/) [Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/) > [The greatest thing in life is finding someone who knows all your mistakes and differences and still finds you absolutely amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-thing-in-life-is-finding-someone-who-knows-all-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is not about finding for yourself, it's about creating for yourself and others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-nwakama/life-is-not-about-finding-for-yourself-it-s-about-creating-for/) [Anne Nwakama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-nwakama/) > [Life is all about finding yourself through experiences, and about learning more and more about who you are and what you’re capable of. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zak-bagans/life-is-all-about-finding-yourself-through-experiences-and-about/) [Zak Bagans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zak-bagans/) > [In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-life-finding-a-voice-is-speaking-and-living-the-truth-each-of-you/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“Life is about finding . . . what works best for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-talmage-mathis/life-is-about-finding-what-works-best-for-you/) [John-Talmage Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-talmage-mathis/) ## More by Agnes de Mille > [I studied the way I danced- to the point of dropping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/i-studied-the-way-i-danced-to-the-point-of-dropping/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [I learned three important things in college-to use a library, to memorize quickly and visually, to drop asleep at any time given a horizontal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/i-learned-three-important-things-in-college-to-use-a-library-to/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/to-dance-is-to-be-out-of-yourself-larger-more-beautiful-more-powerful/) [Agnes De Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-about-our-times/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/living-is-a-form-of-not-being-sure-not-knowing-what-next-or-how-the/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Ballet technique is arbitrary and very difficult. It never becomes easy...it becomes possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/ballet-technique-is-arbitrary-and-very-difficult-it-never-becomes/) [Agnes De Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [We can't stand silence, because silence induces thinking. And if we thought, we would have to face ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/we-can-t-stand-silence-because-silence-induces-thinking-and-if-we/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [What have we got here in America that we believe we cannot live without? We have the most varied and imaginative bathrooms in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/what-have-we-got-here-in-america-that-we-believe-we-cannot-live/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [To make up a dance, I still need, as I needed then, a pot of tea, walking space, privacy and an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/to-make-up-a-dance-i-still-need-as-i-needed-then-a-pot-of-tea-walking/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/no-trumpets-sound-when-the-important-decisions-of-our-life-are-made/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times. The dancers don't even look at one another. They are just a lot of isolated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-about-our-times-the-dancers/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/living-is-a-form-of-not-being-sure-not-knowing-what-next-or-how-the-2/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Friends die one by one, but so, thank God, do enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/friends-die-one-by-one-but-so-thank-god-do-enemies/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [The universe lies before you on the floor, in the air, in the mysterious bodies of your dancers, in your mind. From this voyage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/the-universe-lies-before-you-on-the-floor-in-the-air-in-the/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [I want one word on my tombstone - dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/i-want-one-word-on-my-tombstone-dancer/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) [Explore all 46 Agnes de Mille quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Who am I?, the artist asks. 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