--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's the word 'artful'; it's such a great…" description: "\"It's the word 'artful'; it's such a great word, with its dark and its light side, its art and its cunning, the craft and the crafty of it - I've been p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/ali-smith-1801_art_it-s-the-word-artful-it-s-such-a-great-w_3089856.jpg" --- # It's the word 'artful'; it's such a great word, with its… ![“It's the word 'artful'; it's such a great word, with its dark and its light side, its art and its cunning, the craft and the crafty of it - I've been preoccupied with the word 'artful' and the twin notions of 'cornucopia' and 'pickpocket' it suggests for quite some time.” quote by Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/ali-smith-1801_art_it-s-the-word-artful-it-s-such-a-great-w_3089856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/ali-smith-1801_art_it-s-the-word-artful-it-s-such-a-great-w_3089856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/841/ali-smith-1801_art_it-s-the-word-artful-it-s-such-a-great-w_3089856.jpg) > “It's the word 'artful'; it's such a great word, with its dark and its light side, its art and its cunning, the craft and the crafty of it - I've been preoccupied with the word 'artful' and the twin notions of 'cornucopia' and 'pickpocket' it suggests for quite some time.” [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The word “artful” blends creativity with cunning, evoking both abundance and theft, highlighting dualities in language. **In simple terms:** Artful mixes creativity and trickery. Key Takeaway Explore the nuanced meanings of words. Themes language duality creativity cunning Mood thoughtful playful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - poetry critique - branding - advertising copy Key Concepts literary analysis semantics phonetics Questions to Reflect On - How does “artful” influence perception? - When does cleverness become manipulation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on cleverness can obscure clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artful/) [Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craft/) [Crafty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crafty/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light Side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-side/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Twin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twin/) ## Related quotes > [“Master, don’t. Please.” “Please is a great word–and I intend to please. Me, for sure. Maybe even you.” Lindsey and deVries”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherise-sinclair/master-don-t-please-please-is-a-great-word-and-i-intend-to-please-me/) [Cherise Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherise-sinclair/) > ['MacGruber' came to life mostly because we just liked saying 'MacGyver.' 'MacGyver' this. 'MacGyver' that. It's a great word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorma-taccone/macgruber-came-to-life-mostly-because-we-just-liked-saying-macgyver/) [Jorma Taccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorma-taccone/) > [In one great word my breath is, that breath is for you, you is for me , is for you, everything is for one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkemjika/in-one-great-word-my-breath-is-that-breath-is-for-you-you-is-for-me/) [Nkemjika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkemjika/) > [I do like the word timeless. That's a great word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-mccombs/i-do-like-the-word-timeless-that-s-a-great-word/) [Cass McCombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-mccombs/) > [Hegel says that Truth is a great word and the thing is greater still. 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The idea of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-knight/at-laika-we-try-to-find-an-artful-balance-of-darkness-and-light/) [Travis Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-knight/) > [I think it's good to live an artful life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/i-think-it-s-good-to-live-an-artful-life/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [“Knowing what to ignore is an artful skill that will give you back your power to direct your attention in ways that are helpful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olawale-daniel/knowing-what-to-ignore-is-an-artful-skill-that-will-give-you-back/) [Olawale Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olawale-daniel/) > [“Whatever you do in life, you can always do it in an artistic way!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/whatever-you-do-in-life-you-can-always-do-it-in-an-artistic-way/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I had become a film director because I thought I could express something in an artful way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-verhoeven/i-had-become-a-film-director-because-i-thought-i-could-express/) [Paul Verhoeven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-verhoeven/) > [To be really artful, though, you have to be subjective and so singular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/to-be-really-artful-though-you-have-to-be-subjective-and-so-singular/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I think Ralph Fiennes has had a really wonderful career; there's something sort of classic about him. He does a bunch of different projects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-harding/i-think-ralph-fiennes-has-had-a-really-wonderful-career-there-s/) [Ian Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-harding/) > [I've always been on a quest to use science in an artful way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/i-ve-always-been-on-a-quest-to-use-science-in-an-artful-way/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Artful without being pretentious, well-made without being staid, Trey Moody's investigations of our weird and ordinary world are a little off, by which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-foust/artful-without-being-pretentious-well-made-without-being-staid-trey/) Graham Foust > [Your life is already artful-waiting, just waiting, for you to make it art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/your-life-is-already-artful-waiting-just-waiting-for-you-to-make-it/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More by Ali Smith > [As for Aliki - if you were to stand in the middle of Rome and say the name Sophia Loren, or Paris and say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/as-for-aliki-if-you-were-to-stand-in-the-middle-of-rome-and-say-the/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [“Elisabeth had been listening to the programme in the bath. 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I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/what-shop-did-this-book-come-from-she-asked-her-father-was-looking/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [What's the point of art, of any art, if it doesn't let us see with a little bit of objectivity where we are?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/what-s-the-point-of-art-of-any-art-if-it-doesn-t-let-us-see-with-a/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [If you can read the world as a construct, you can ask questions of the construct, and you can suggest ways to change the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/if-you-can-read-the-world-as-a-construct-you-can-ask-questions-of-the/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [“I’m tired of the news. I’m tired of the way it makes things spectacular that aren’t, and deals so simplistically with what’s truly appalling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/i-m-tired-of-the-news-i-m-tired-of-the-way-it-makes-things/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [“(this is before we're living together, before we do the most faithful act of all, mix our separate books into one library)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/this-is-before-we-re-living-together-before-we-do-the-most-faithful/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [“Believe me. Everything is meant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/believe-me-everything-is-meant/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [ \[Property\] is a brilliant, chillingly revelatory piece of fiction, a work of craft, economy and such good merciless observation-one of those rare, crucial novels… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/property-is-a-brilliant-chillingly-revelatory-piece-of-fiction-a-work/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) [Explore all 199 Ali Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) ## 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. 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