--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't write for a particular audience…" description: "\"I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and I have to satisfy myself as an ar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/august-wilson-3646_always_i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience_164721.jpg" --- # I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an… ![“I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and I have to satisfy myself as an artist. So I always say that I write for the same people that Picasso painted for. I think he painted for himself.” quote by August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/august-wilson-3646_always_i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience_164721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/august-wilson-3646_always_i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience_164721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/august-wilson-3646_always_i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience_164721.jpg) > “I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and I have to satisfy myself as an artist. So I always say that I write for the same people that Picasso painted for. I think he painted for himself.” [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creator prioritizes personal authenticity over external expectations, seeing the self as the true audience. **In simple terms:** Create for yourself, not for others. Key Takeaway Stay true to your artistic vision. Themes authenticity self‑expression creativity Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal projects - private journals - solo performances - introspective writing Key Concepts artist identity inner motivation self‑satisfaction Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑validation influence your work? - What risks arise when ignoring audience feedback? A Different Perspective May limit audience reach and commercial success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-think-246232/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audience Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-self-1798572/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/himself/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [I write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-write/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Painted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painted/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Particular Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular-audience-1798573/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picasso/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) [Satisfy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfy/) [Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-particular-363711/) [Write People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-people-328320/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't write for a particular audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [The nice thing about live performance is that I've never, ever been let down. Partly I'm lucky that my audience self-selects itself. Generally they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-nice-thing-about-live-performance-is-that-i-ve-never-ever-been/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [The smaller an audience is, the more self-conscious they are. People are always looking at each other to see who is laughing. Because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/the-smaller-an-audience-is-the-more-self-conscious-they-are-people/) [Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/) > [Truthfully, you're not your audience, so all that self-consciousness and all that - it gets in the way of you actually just being the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelda-williams/truthfully-you-re-not-your-audience-so-all-that-self-consciousness/) [Zelda Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelda-williams/) > [Many comics stay in one city and develop their acts for that particular audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-gold/many-comics-stay-in-one-city-and-develop-their-acts-for-that/) [Judy Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-gold/) > [It's really cool to know that you've put something together that isn't for a particular audience. It's so often that a TV show can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krumholtz/it-s-really-cool-to-know-that-you-ve-put-something-together-that-isn/) [David Krumholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krumholtz/) > [I don't ever write with a particular audience in mind. I just write books that please me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/i-don-t-ever-write-with-a-particular-audience-in-mind-i-just-write/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [I'm imagining there's a particular audience out there that's younger and older, too. It works on two levels. Do they exist? I don't know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-m-kahn/i-m-imagining-there-s-a-particular-audience-out-there-that-s-younger/) [Joseph M. Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-m-kahn/) > [What makes a publisher decide to market a book to a particular audience is not the subject matter but the style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/what-makes-a-publisher-decide-to-market-a-book-to-a-particular/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and I have to satisfy myself as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-work-as-an-artist-and-i-think-the-audience-of-one-which-is-the-self/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I end up writing about all kinds of things. I never make an attempt to write about anything in particular. I don't have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chapman/i-end-up-writing-about-all-kinds-of-things-i-never-make-an-attempt-to/) [Tracy Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chapman/) > [I never write with particular actors in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-never-write-with-particular-actors-in-mind/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [Sometimes I write with a particular person in mind. I think it's fair to say that I write for a perceptive reader. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/sometimes-i-write-with-a-particular-person-in-mind-i-think-it-s-fair/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [I think no one but me has the right to write about my life as I want to write it in a particular way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preity-zinta/i-think-no-one-but-me-has-the-right-to-write-about-my-life-as-i-want/) [Preity Zinta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preity-zinta/) > [I don't write for any particular kind of person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wesley/i-don-t-write-for-any-particular-kind-of-person/) [Mary Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wesley/) ## More by August Wilson > [Most of black America is in housing projects, without jobs, living on welfare. And this is not the case in 'The Cosby Show,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/most-of-black-america-is-in-housing-projects-without-jobs-living-on/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I just write stuff down and pile it up, and when I get enough stuff, I spread it out and look at it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-just-write-stuff-down-and-pile-it-up-and-when-i-get-enough-stuff-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I don't look at our society today too much. My focus is still in the past, and part of the reason is because what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-look-at-our-society-today-too-much-my-focus-is-still-in-the/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [The director works as an interpretive artist, but he's still an artist, so you also have to give him room to create and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/the-director-works-as-an-interpretive-artist-but-he-s-still-an-artist/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I dropped out of school, but I didn't drop out of life. I would leave the house each morning and go to the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-dropped-out-of-school-but-i-didn-t-drop-out-of-life-i-would-leave/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [When I first started writing plays I couldn't write good dialogue because I didn't respect how black people talked. I thought that in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/when-i-first-started-writing-plays-i-couldn-t-write-good-dialogue/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [“Like you? I go out of here every morning...bust my butt...cause I like you? It's my job. It's my responsibility!... Not cause I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/like-you-i-go-out-of-here-every-morning-bust-my-butt-cause-i-like-you/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [“-How long you been with the rail road now? -Twenty-seven years. Now, I'll tell you something about the railroad. What I done learned after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/how-long-you-been-with-the-rail-road-now-twenty-seven-years-now-i-ll/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Scripts were rather scarce in 1968. We did a lot of Amiri Baraka's plays, the agitprop stuff he was writing. It was at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/scripts-were-rather-scarce-in-1968-we-did-a-lot-of-amiri-baraka-s/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/all-you-need-in-the-world-is-love-and-laughter-that-s-all-anybody/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I ain't never found no place for me to fit. Seem like all I do is start over. It ain't nothing to find no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-ain-t-never-found-no-place-for-me-to-fit-seem-like-all-i-do-is/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I dont write particularly to effect social change. I believe writing can do that, but thats not why I write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-dont-write-particularly-to-effect-social-change-i-believe-writing/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [“Don't try and go through life worrying about if somebody like you or not. You best be making sure they doing right by you,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/don-t-try-and-go-through-life-worrying-about-if-somebody-like-you-or/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Suffice it to say, I'm not poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/suffice-it-to-say-i-m-not-poor/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [There's no idea in the world that is not contained by black life. I could write forever about the black experience in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/there-s-no-idea-in-the-world-that-is-not-contained-by-black-life-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) [Explore all 124 August Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't write for a particular audience. 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