--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is an art, not a science. You make…" description: "\"Life is an art, not a science. You make it up as you go along.\" — Al Hirschfeld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/al-hirschfeld-36985_art_life-is-an-art-not-a-science-you-make-it_939350.jpg" --- # Life is an art, not a science. You make it up as you go… ![“Life is an art, not a science. You make it up as you go along.” quote by Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/al-hirschfeld-36985_art_life-is-an-art-not-a-science-you-make-it_939350.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/al-hirschfeld-36985_art_life-is-an-art-not-a-science-you-make-it_939350.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/al-hirschfeld-36985_art_life-is-an-art-not-a-science-you-make-it_939350.jpg) > “Life is an art, not a science. You make it up as you go along.” [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is portrayed as a creative, improvisational practice rather than a fixed system. **In simple terms:** Life is creative, not fixed. Key Takeaway Embrace improvisation. Themes creativity art life philosophy Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - daily decisions - career building - personal relationships - creative projects Key Concepts improvisation personal expression Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance spontaneity with planning? - When does improvisation hinder progress? A Different Perspective It may overlook the value of structured knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Life isn't a science. We make it up as we go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/life-isn-t-a-science-we-make-it-up-as-we-go/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [Yoga is a way of life; it is an art, a science, a philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-k-s-iyengar/yoga-is-a-way-of-life-it-is-an-art-a-science-a-philosophy/) [B.K.S. Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-k-s-iyengar/) > [Art and science create a balance to material life and enlarge the world of living experience. Art leads to a more profound concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-hofmann/art-and-science-create-a-balance-to-material-life-and-enlarge-the/) [Hans Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-hofmann/) > [The future belongs to science and those who make friends with science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/the-future-belongs-to-science-and-those-who-make-friends-with-science/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [It's not rocket science to make a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-aselton/it-s-not-rocket-science-to-make-a-movie/) [Katie Aselton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-aselton/) > [“Technology & Science is what you make it!!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/technogeekzone/technology-science-is-what-you-make-it/) TechnoGeekZone > [It is possible for science to make the world like the Garden of Eden! Amen. But it is also possible, and sometimes it seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maude-royden/it-is-possible-for-science-to-make-the-world-like-the-garden-of-eden/) [Maude Royden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maude-royden/) > [“But now science is the belief system that is hundreds of years old. And, like the medieval system before it, science is starting not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/but-now-science-is-the-belief-system-that-is-hundreds-of-years-old/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [I specialize in science and history, with a special emphasis on including do-it-yourself projects in the mix. My dozen or so books have sold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gurstelle/i-specialize-in-science-and-history-with-a-special-emphasis-on/) [William Gurstelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gurstelle/) > [“The goal of science is to make the wonderful and complex understandable and simple—but not less wonderful. —Herb Simon, Sciences of the Artificial”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-miller/the-goal-of-science-is-to-make-the-wonderful-and-complex/) [John H. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-miller/) > [“It took more than science to make hope real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-took-more-than-science-to-make-hope-real/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [After all, that was a main purpose of science: to make things of all kinds happen sooner than they otherwise would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aickman/after-all-that-was-a-main-purpose-of-science-to-make-things-of-all/) [Robert Aickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aickman/) > [“science, which can make known only the interrelations of things, but never their origin, essence and end, will never be able to satisfy the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-bavinck/science-which-can-make-known-only-the-interrelations-of-things-but/) [Herman Bavinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-bavinck/) > [Engineering or technology is all about using the power of science to make life better for people, to reduce cost, to improve comfort, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-r-narayana-murthy/engineering-or-technology-is-all-about-using-the-power-of-science-to/) [N. R. Narayana Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-r-narayana-murthy/) > [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/) ## More by Al Hirschfeld > [Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/artists-are-just-children-who-refuse-to-put-down-their-crayons/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [Life isn't a science. We make it up as we go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/life-isn-t-a-science-we-make-it-up-as-we-go/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [I believe everybody is creative, and everybody is talented. I just don't think that everybody is disciplined. I think that's a rare commodity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/i-believe-everybody-is-creative-and-everybody-is-talented-i-just-don/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [Try to distill the character of your subject. Understand how he moves, thinks, acts. It's difficult to put into words. Consider each drawing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/try-to-distill-the-character-of-your-subject-understand-how-he-moves/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [I never know what to tell young people when they come here. It could never happen for anyone they way it happened for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/i-never-know-what-to-tell-young-people-when-they-come-here-it-could/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [Iwas a sculptor.Butthat'sreallydrawinga drawing you fall over in the dark, a three-dimensional drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/iwas-a-sculptor-butthat-sreallydrawinga-drawing-you-fall-over-in-the/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [Writers who drew, they all seemed to draw the same way. They managed to keep that childlike creativity in their line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/writers-who-drew-they-all-seemed-to-draw-the-same-way-they-managed-to/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [You know, it's no accident that the great painters came from areas like Europe where there is a lot of clouds and rain, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/you-know-it-s-no-accident-that-the-great-painters-came-from-areas/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [You learn your limitations and then you try to work within them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/you-learn-your-limitations-and-then-you-try-to-work-within-them/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [The opening-night audience is mostly friends of the cast and backers of the show, and they cometo applaud their money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/the-opening-night-audience-is-mostly-friends-of-the-cast-and-backers/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) > [You always feel the drawing you are working on is the best you've ever done... I am only interested in the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirschfeld/you-always-feel-the-drawing-you-are-working-on-is-the-best-you-ve/) [Al Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) [Explore all 12 Al Hirschfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirschfeld/) ## 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": "Life is an art, not a science. 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