---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man's work is nothing but this slow…"
description: "\"A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/albert-camus-47_art_a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-tr_2061593.jpg"
---

#  A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover…

![“A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/albert-camus-47_art_a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-tr_2061593.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/albert-camus-47_art_a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-tr_2061593.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/albert-camus-47_art_a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-tr_2061593.jpg)

> “A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.”

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The artist’s lifelong quest is to rediscover fundamental, simple images that first opened his heart, despite many detours.

**In simple terms:** Artists seek basic, powerful images that first moved them.

Key Takeaway

Pursue those core images in your work.

Themes

art discovery creativity

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical creative

When to use this quote

- painting
- writing
- music
- design
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

existentialism aesthetic memory

Questions to Reflect On

- What simple image first opened your heart?
- How do detours shape your creative journey?

A Different Perspective

Finding such images can be elusive and may stall progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-great/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Detours Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detours-art-3935507/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Rediscover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rediscover/) [Rediscover Detours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rediscover-detours-3935509/) [Slow Trek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slow-trek-3935508/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [“A person's life purpose is nothing more than to rediscover, through the detours of art or love or passionate work, those one or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-person-s-life-purpose-is-nothing-more-than-to-rediscover-through/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [How many millions of times have I sung 'Love Changes Everything?' But when I see how it matters to people, it gives me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/how-many-millions-of-times-have-i-sung-love-changes-everything-but/)

[Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/)

> [The real advantage which truth has, consists in this, that when an opinion is true, it may be extinguished once, twice, or many times,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-real-advantage-which-truth-has-consists-in-this-that-when-an/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [As I write, I control my anxiety and anguish thanks to the invaluable aid of irony and humor. But every night I am subdued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrique-vila-matas/as-i-write-i-control-my-anxiety-and-anguish-thanks-to-the-invaluable/)

[Enrique Vila-Matas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrique-vila-matas/)

> [I prayed to rediscover my childhood, and it has come back, and I feel that it is just as difficult as it used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/i-prayed-to-rediscover-my-childhood-and-it-has-come-back-and-i-feel/)

[Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/)

> [“My clearing has allowed me to rediscover things I stopped seeing and put them into a place of prominence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/my-clearing-has-allowed-me-to-rediscover-things-i-stopped-seeing-and/)

[Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/)

> [“In life, there are brief and momentary opportunities that ask us to assert our existence. Although a creative impulse, they can be destructive, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/in-life-there-are-brief-and-momentary-opportunities-that-ask-us-to/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [I am convinced that each of us, at some time in our lives, must discover the scriptures for ourselves—and not just discover them once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/i-am-convinced-that-each-of-us-at-some-time-in-our-lives-must/)

[Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/)

> [Life is a succession of crises and moments when we have to rediscover who we are and what we really want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/life-is-a-succession-of-crises-and-moments-when-we-have-to-rediscover/)

[Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/)

> [If we knew how to find the lost, we would know how to rediscover the parts of our minds left behind in battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margarita-engle/if-we-knew-how-to-find-the-lost-we-would-know-how-to-rediscover-the/)

[Margarita Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margarita-engle/)

> [I knew I could not cope with the future unless I was able to rediscover the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-tierney/i-knew-i-could-not-cope-with-the-future-unless-i-was-able-to/)

[Gene Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-tierney/)

> [It's harder to take politics seriously, to understand the issues, than it is to drown it all in a sea of scorn. And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/it-s-harder-to-take-politics-seriously-to-understand-the-issues-than/)

[Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/)

> [What we cannot remember, we must rediscover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/what-we-cannot-remember-we-must-rediscover/)

[Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/)

> [Hopefully, people will rediscover real country music. After all, it's in my blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlene-carter/hopefully-people-will-rediscover-real-country-music-after-all-it-s-in/)

[Carlene Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlene-carter/)

> [When I started writing 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid,' I was trying to write the type of book you might enjoy, put back on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-kinney/when-i-started-writing-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-i-was-trying-to-write-the/)

[Jeff Kinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-kinney/)

## More by Albert Camus

> [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“Having been, not only mutilated in our country, wounded in our very flesh, but also divested of our most beautiful images, for you gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/having-been-not-only-mutilated-in-our-country-wounded-in-our-very/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [The best are led to make greater demands upon themselves. As for those who succumb, they did not deserve to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-best-are-led-to-make-greater-demands-upon-themselves-as-for-those/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“Then he asked me if I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives, that in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-he-asked-me-if-i-wasn-t-interested-in-a-change-of-life-i-said/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Life is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-meaningless-but-worth-living-provided-you-recognize-it-s/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Thinking of the future, establishing aims for oneself, having preferences-all this presupposes a belief in freedom, even if one occasionally ascertains that one doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thinking-of-the-future-establishing-aims-for-oneself-having/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-explained-to-him-however-that-my-nature-was-such-that-my-physical/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-only-way-to-deal-with-an-unfree-world-is-to-become-so-absolutely/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“We love people not because for good they did for us, but for good we did for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-love-people-not-because-for-good-they-did-for-us-but-for-good-we/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Don’t just wait for a man to come along. That’s the mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-have-so-much-inside-you-and-the-noblest-happiness-of-all-don-t/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [The desire for possession is insatiable, to such a point that it can survive even love itself. To love, therefore, is to sterilize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-desire-for-possession-is-insatiable-to-such-a-point-that-it-can/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

[Explore all 1,600 Albert Camus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

## 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": "A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Albert Camus"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-trek-to-rediscover-through-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-trek-to-rediscover-through-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/albert-camus-47_art_a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-tr_2061593.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/albert-camus-47_art_a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-tr_2061593.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/albert-camus-47_art_a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-tr_2061593.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three…” — Albert Camus",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Albert Camus",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A man's work is nothing but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-trek-to-rediscover-through-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-man-s-work-is-nothing-but-this-slow-trek-to-rediscover-through-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
