--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There’s no “correct path” to becoming a…" description: "\"There’s no “correct path” to becoming a real artist. You might think you’ll gain legitimacy by going to university, getting published, getting signed t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/amanda-palmer-2356_art_there-s-no-correct-path-to-becoming-a-re_1268351.jpg" --- # There’s no “correct path” to becoming a real artist. You… ![“There’s no “correct path” to becoming a real artist. You might think you’ll gain legitimacy by going to university, getting published, getting signed to a record label. But it’s all bullshit, and it’s all in your head. You’re an artist when you say you are. And you’re a good artist when you make…” quote by Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/amanda-palmer-2356_art_there-s-no-correct-path-to-becoming-a-re_1268351.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/amanda-palmer-2356_art_there-s-no-correct-path-to-becoming-a-re_1268351.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/amanda-palmer-2356_art_there-s-no-correct-path-to-becoming-a-re_1268351.jpg) > “There’s no “correct path” to becoming a real artist. You might think you’ll gain legitimacy by going to university, getting published, getting signed to a record label. But it’s all bullshit, and it’s all in your head. You’re an artist when you say you are. And you’re a good artist when you make somebody else experience or feel something deep or unexpected.” [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artistic legitimacy isn’t granted by institutions; it’s defined by personal declaration and the ability to evoke deep, unexpected feelings in others. **In simple terms:** Being an artist is a personal claim and impact on others. Key Takeaway Define your art by authenticity and emotional impact. Themes authenticity creativity self-definition impact rebellion Mood empowering defiant inspirational Type philosophical motivational artistic When to use this quote - self-identity - creative process - audience engagement - challenging norms Key Concepts art theory psychology culture Questions to Reflect On - What does “real artist” mean to you? - How do you measure the depth of your work’s impact? A Different Perspective Institutional validation can still influence opportunities and perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Bullshit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullshit/) [Good art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-art/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Legitimacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legitimacy/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Real artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-artists/) [Record labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-labels/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [Think it's so unfair when people think that you're not a "real artist" unless you're getting paid for it…I personally know so many poets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/think-it-s-so-unfair-when-people-think-that-you-re-not-a-real-artist/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [The real artist has no pride. Unfortunately he sees that his art has no limits. He feels obscurely how far he is from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-van-beethoven/the-real-artist-has-no-pride-unfortunately-he-sees-that-his-art-has/) [Ludwig van Beethoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-van-beethoven/) > [The real artist's work is a surprise to himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/the-real-artist-s-work-is-a-surprise-to-himself/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) > [The artist is a strange being. 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And I think he's a true artist. He's not hilarious first; I think he is a real artist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemima-kirke/i-think-damien-hirst-is-hilarious-and-i-think-he-s-a-true-artist-he-s/) [Jemima Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemima-kirke/) > [You really can't be a good artist if you can't say what you really feel. And people may be offended, but, you know, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/you-really-can-t-be-a-good-artist-if-you-can-t-say-what-you-really/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [I think, for me, not to get too dark, my self-worth is very much wrapped up in my ability to be a good artist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/i-think-for-me-not-to-get-too-dark-my-self-worth-is-very-much-wrapped/) [Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/) > [You are an artist when you make someone feel something deep and unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/you-are-an-artist-when-you-make-someone-feel-something-deep-and/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) ## More by Amanda Palmer > [What I have found is, so much of that is like a Chinese finger trap: the more you play to the dark, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/what-i-have-found-is-so-much-of-that-is-like-a-chinese-finger-trap/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [“i am not afraid. fuck safety. i rock on purpose ALL THE TIME”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-am-not-afraid-fuck-safety-i-rock-on-purpose-all-the-time/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [In some way, my fundamental feeling about music is that it's impossible to put a price tag on it. Human beings made music before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/in-some-way-my-fundamental-feeling-about-music-is-that-it-s/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Our nature is to desperately want to believe and to take what we believe is the quickest path there even against our better judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/our-nature-is-to-desperately-want-to-believe-and-to-take-what-we/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I have never in my career embarked on a journey towards controversy. I have never deliberately set a flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-have-never-in-my-career-embarked-on-a-journey-towards-controversy-i/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I think the Internet really sussed things into perspective. 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But with music, there are all these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-d-actually-say-that-every-musician-is-a-human-being-and-that-not/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [The perfect tools aren't going to help us if we can't face each other and give and receive fearlessly, but more important, to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/the-perfect-tools-aren-t-going-to-help-us-if-we-can-t-face-each-other/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I had a real come-to-Jesus a couple of years ago when I started to see the direct line between feminism and everything else -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-had-a-real-come-to-jesus-a-couple-of-years-ago-when-i-started-to/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Take on the pain and wear it as a shirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/take-on-the-pain-and-wear-it-as-a-shirt/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I think I can define my entire life, virtuosity and business philosophy down to the core fundamental that I absolutely hate being told what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-think-i-can-define-my-entire-life-virtuosity-and-business/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I've always been a creative workaholic. I have never had a period of my life where I didn't have at least half a dozen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-ve-always-been-a-creative-workaholic-i-have-never-had-a-period-of/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) [Explore all 159 Amanda Palmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) ## 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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