Artist Quote by Ali Akbar Khan
“If you practice for ten years, you may begin to please yourself, after 20 years you may become a performer and please the audience, after 30 years you may please even your guru, but you must practice for many more years before you finally become a true artist-then you may please even God.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Music masterclass, 1970s
Long‑term dedication transforms personal satisfaction into mastery, then into service to others, and ultimately to spiritual fulfillment.
In simple terms: Practice leads from self‑pleasure to divine expression.
Key Takeaway
Commit to lifelong practice beyond external rewards.
Themes
discipline
mastery
spirituality
art
growth
Mood
inspired
contemplative
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- learning an instrument
- teaching
- spiritual meditation
- creative work
Key Concepts
musical development
pedagogy
transcendence
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “true artist” mean to you?
- Are you practicing for self‑growth or external validation?
A Different Perspective
The path may be endless; true artistry may never be fully attained.
![“Yeah, playing anywhere from three to five gigs a week definitely [helped]. I think all the practice throughout the years and doing what I do paid off.” quote by Bo Bice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/757/bo-bice-26059_five_yeah-playing-anywhere-from-three-to-five_553764.jpg)
![“I walked all around it [the Guggenheim Bilbao] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing about this rang commercial money shot. In a situation like this there's only one thing to do: forget about pleasing editors, please yourself.” quote by Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/375/robert-polidori-55002_clean_i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bi_9097.jpg)
