--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What a good artist understands is that…" description: "\"What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.\" — Aus..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/austin-kleon-1835_art_what-a-good-artist-understands-is-that-n_2269197.png" --- # What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from… ![“What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.” quote by Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/austin-kleon-1835_art_what-a-good-artist-understands-is-that-n_2269197.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/austin-kleon-1835_art_what-a-good-artist-understands-is-that-n_2269197.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf7/austin-kleon-1835_art_what-a-good-artist-understands-is-that-n_2269197.png) > “What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.” [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creativity builds on existing ideas; originality is a remix of past influences. **In simple terms:** All art is derived from earlier work. Key Takeaway Embrace influence, create anew. Themes creativity influence originality Mood inspired reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - writing - visual art - music composition - design projects Key Concepts intertextuality remix cultural evolution Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance homage and innovation? - What sources shape your creative voice? A Different Perspective Originality is limited by the need for novelty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Understands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-understands-1870926/) [Comes Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comes-creative-1160818/) [Completely Original](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/completely-original-353621/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Good art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-art/) [Good artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-artist/) ## Related quotes > [“What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/what-a-good-artist-understands-is-that-nothing-comes-from-nowhere/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Rozay is an artist himself so he understands the importance of being true to your work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omarion/rozay-is-an-artist-himself-so-he-understands-the-importance-of-being/) [Omarion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omarion/) > [Good artists exist in what they make, and consequently are perfectly uninteresting in what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/good-artists-exist-in-what-they-make-and-consequently-are-perfectly/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-good-artist-lets-his-intuition-lead-him-wherever-it-wants/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. A good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-good-traveler-has-no-fixed-plans-and-is-not-intent-upon-arriving-a/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [A Good artist has less time than ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-kippenberger/a-good-artist-has-less-time-than-ideas/) [Martin Kippenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-kippenberger/) > [When I propose a candidate for a job I don't do it because the person in question is the best but because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/when-i-propose-a-candidate-for-a-job-i-don-t-do-it-because-the-person/) [Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/) > [“Convincing myself I was a “good artist” while also knowing how pointless it was to be one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillaume-morissette/convincing-myself-i-was-a-good-artist-while-also-knowing-how/) [Guillaume Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillaume-morissette/) > [I just wanna be a good artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-graham/i-just-wanna-be-a-good-artist/) [Kat Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-graham/) > [A good artist's always got his hand in his zipper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/a-good-artist-s-always-got-his-hand-in-his-zipper/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [Let the writer take up surgery or bricklaying if he is interested in technique. There is no mechanical way to get the writing done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/let-the-writer-take-up-surgery-or-bricklaying-if-he-is-interested-in/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Only a bad artist thinks he has a good idea. A good artist does not need anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ad-reinhardt/only-a-bad-artist-thinks-he-has-a-good-idea-a-good-artist-does-not/) [Ad Reinhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ad-reinhardt/) > [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I'm just a fan of all music. My family owned a record shop so I grew up taking it all in on a daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab-soul/i-m-just-a-fan-of-all-music-my-family-owned-a-record-shop-so-i-grew/) [Ab-Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab-soul/) > [A real good artist learns to be a better person through all the changes they've been through. They keep their loving and honesty growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradley/a-real-good-artist-learns-to-be-a-better-person-through-all-the/) [Charles Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradley/) ## More by Austin Kleon > [“The thing is, you can cut off a couple passions and only focus on one, but after a while, you’ll start to feel phantom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-thing-is-you-can-cut-off-a-couple-passions-and-only-focus-on-one/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Don't think of your website as a self-promotion machine, think of it as a self-invention machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/don-t-think-of-your-website-as-a-self-promotion-machine-think-of-it/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“We want you to take from us. We want you, at first, to steal from us, because you can’t steal. You will take what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/we-want-you-to-take-from-us-we-want-you-at-first-to-steal-from-us/) [austin kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Validation is for parking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/validation-is-for-parking/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“If you want fans, you have to be a fan first. If you want to be accepted by a community, you have to first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/if-you-want-fans-you-have-to-be-a-fan-first-if-you-want-to-be/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Social media sites are the perfect place to share daily updates. 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(It’s the only way to get work done.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/be-boring-it-s-the-only-way-to-get-work-done/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn't online, it doesn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/it-sounds-a-little-extreme-but-in-this-day-and-age-if-your-work-isn-t/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Don't wait until you know who you are to get started. If I'd waited to know who I was or what I was about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/don-t-wait-until-you-know-who-you-are-to-get-started-if-i-d-waited-to/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Your brain gets too comfortable in your everyday surroundings. You need to make it uncomfortable. You need to spend some time in another land,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/your-brain-gets-too-comfortable-in-your-everyday-surroundings-you/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/nothing-is-more-paralyzing-than-the-idea-of-limitless-possibilities/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Whenever Picasso learned how to do something, he abandoned it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/whenever-picasso-learned-how-to-do-something-he-abandoned-it/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“The writer Jonathan Lethem has said that when people call something “original,” nine out of ten times they just don’t know the references or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-writer-jonathan-lethem-has-said-that-when-people-call-something/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“Stock and flow” is an economic concept that writer Robin Sloan has adapted into a metaphor for media: “Flow is the feed. It’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/stock-and-flow-is-an-economic-concept-that-writer-robin-sloan-has/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) [Explore all 204 Austin Kleon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. 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