--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You are right in demanding that an artist…" description: "\"You are right in demanding that an artist approach his work consciously, but you are confusing two concepts: the solution of a problem and the correct ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/anton-chekhov-298_approach_you-are-right-in-demanding-that-an-artis_3162004.jpg" --- # You are right in demanding that an artist approach his… ![“You are right in demanding that an artist approach his work consciously, but you are confusing two concepts: the solution of a problem and the correct formulation of a problem. Only the second is required of the artist.” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/anton-chekhov-298_approach_you-are-right-in-demanding-that-an-artis_3162004.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/anton-chekhov-298_approach_you-are-right-in-demanding-that-an-artis_3162004.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/anton-chekhov-298_approach_you-are-right-in-demanding-that-an-artis_3162004.jpg) > “You are right in demanding that an artist approach his work consciously, but you are confusing two concepts: the solution of a problem and the correct formulation of a problem. Only the second is required of the artist.” [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists must first define the problem correctly; solutions follow from proper formulation. **In simple terms:** Define the problem before solving it. Key Takeaway Clarify the problem first. Themes creativity problem‑solving art conceptual thinking Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical instructional When to use this quote - design projects - writing - visual arts Key Concepts problem definition creative process artistic intent Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance analysis and creation? - When is it okay to jump straight to a solution? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on definition can stall action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [You are right in demanding that an artist should take an intelligent attitude to his work, but you confuse two things: solving a problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/you-are-right-in-demanding-that-an-artist-should-take-an-intelligent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I spent three years there and encountered great teachers who gave me enough stimulation to last me for the rest of my life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-asawa/i-spent-three-years-there-and-encountered-great-teachers-who-gave-me/) [Ruth Asawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-asawa/) > [You can't be the vulnerable, transparent, raw person required to be an artist, and then cover that stuff up and meet the world with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idina-menzel/you-can-t-be-the-vulnerable-transparent-raw-person-required-to-be-an/) [Idina Menzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idina-menzel/) > [The mere formulation of a problem is far more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-mere-formulation-of-a-problem-is-far-more-essential-than-its/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The formulation of the problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-formulation-of-the-problem-is-often-more-essential-than-its/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A philosophy is characterized more by the formulation of its problem than by its solution of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-the-formulation-of-its-problem/) [Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/) > [People with a high level of personal mastery are able to consistently realize the results that matter most deeply to them-in effect, they approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/people-with-a-high-level-of-personal-mastery-are-able-to-consistently/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [I believe the approach of the artist and the approach of the environmentalist are fairly close in that both are, to a rather impressive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/i-believe-the-approach-of-the-artist-and-the-approach-of-the/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [An artist must approach his work in the spirit of the criminal about to commit a crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-degas/an-artist-must-approach-his-work-in-the-spirit-of-the-criminal-about/) [Edgar Degas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-degas/) > [Hearing about a visual artist's approach can change the way you think about songwriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/hearing-about-a-visual-artist-s-approach-can-change-the-way-you-think/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think that being an artist is more an approach to life than an approach to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-levitas/i-think-that-being-an-artist-is-more-an-approach-to-life-than-an/) [Andrew Levitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-levitas/) > [“Anyone who says the artist's field is all answers and no questions has never done any writing or had any dealings with imagery...You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/anyone-who-says-the-artist-s-field-is-all-answers-and-no-questions/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I do not want to presuppose anything as known. I see in my explanation in section 1 the definition of the concepts point, straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hilbert/i-do-not-want-to-presuppose-anything-as-known-i-see-in-my-explanation/) [David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hilbert/) > [A new constitution should be more amendable. A needlessly confusing system of courts should be altered to produce an arrangement that would be simple,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edison/a-new-constitution-should-be-more-amendable-a-needlessly-confusing/) [Charles Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edison/) > [Because I'm in a modern studio, there are so many possibilities - you can do so much. So it's sometimes a little bit confusing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trentem-ller/because-i-m-in-a-modern-studio-there-are-so-many-possibilities-you/) [Trentemøller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trentem-ller/) ## More by Anton Chekhov > [“Using vile means to attain worthy ends makes the ends themselves vile. Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-ever-my-life-can-be-of-any-use-to-you-come-and-claim-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“But here was all the timorousness and angularity of inexperienced youth, a feeling of awkwardness, and an impression of bewilderment, as if someone had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-here-was-all-the-timorousness-and-angularity-of-inexperienced/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“At the water's edge, barrels of pitch blazed like huge bonfires. 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If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“It is my opinion that every woman can be a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-is-my-opinion-that-every-woman-can-be-a-writer/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“His reading suggested a man swimming in the sea among the wreckage of his ship, and trying to save his life by greedily clutching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/his-reading-suggested-a-man-swimming-in-the-sea-among-the-wreckage-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Why do you always wear black?” "I am mourning for my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/why-do-you-always-wear-black-i-am-mourning-for-my-life/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) [Explore all 679 Anton Chekhov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## More Approach quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. 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I try to understand the emotional graph of the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/i-don-t-have-any-particular-method-my-approach-is-very-simple-i-try/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everything, every part that you approach has to be somehow rooted in yourself. You have to somehow root everything so that it's not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/everything-every-part-that-you-approach-has-to-be-somehow-rooted-in/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Literature transforms and intensifies ordinary language, deviates systematically from everyday speech. If you approach me at a bus stop and murmur Thou still unravished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/literature-transforms-and-intensifies-ordinary-language-deviates/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The whole secret to mastering the game of golf - and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro - is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/the-whole-secret-to-mastering-the-game-of-golf-and-this-applies-to/) [Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/) > [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear. 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