---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Banksy's a very selfish, driven, paranoid…"
description: "\"Banksy's a very selfish, driven, paranoid artist. For good reasons.\" — Ben Eine"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/ben-eine-12306_artist_banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid_1411215.jpg"
---

#  Banksy's a very selfish, driven, paranoid artist. For good…

![“Banksy's a very selfish, driven, paranoid artist. For good reasons.” quote by Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/ben-eine-12306_artist_banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid_1411215.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/ben-eine-12306_artist_banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid_1411215.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/ben-eine-12306_artist_banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid_1411215.jpg)

> “Banksy's a very selfish, driven, paranoid artist. For good reasons.”

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Banksy is characterized as a self‑interested, driven, and paranoid artist, motivated by valid concerns.

**In simple terms:** Banksy is a selfish, driven artist with good reasons.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the tension between ego and purpose.

Themes

art psychology paranoia

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

analytical reflective

When to use this quote

- gallery curation
- public murals
- artist collaborations

Key Concepts

artist motivation self‑interest

Questions to Reflect On

- How does paranoia fuel creativity?
- Can selfishness coexist with social impact?

A Different Perspective

The view may overlook Banksy's altruistic projects.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-good-428313/) [Banksy Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/banksy-selfish-4974443/) [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Paranoid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paranoid/) [Paranoid Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paranoid-artist-4974444/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/)

## Related quotes

> [The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal; the good one really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-difference-between-a-bad-artist-and-a-good-one-is-the-bad-artist/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [Sometimes an artist can be good and they don't get the response or the attention that they deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koffee/sometimes-an-artist-can-be-good-and-they-don-t-get-the-response-or/)

[Koffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koffee/)

> [If an artist is any good at all, then he or she will have a later phase that's more interesting than the early one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/if-an-artist-is-any-good-at-all-then-he-or-she-will-have-a-later/)

[Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/)

> [Acting... was the biggest charge I ever had. What other artist has it so good? Approval so quick?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elia-kazan/acting-was-the-biggest-charge-i-ever-had-what-other-artist-has-it-so/)

[Elia Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elia-kazan/)

> [There's just some dysfunctionalism with artists. There are good things and bad things about being an artist, and the good thing is, sometimes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/there-s-just-some-dysfunctionalism-with-artists-there-are-good-things/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [Overall, I think any opportunity to expose people to art on a mass level - to have some kid in Oklahoma say to his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-deitch/overall-i-think-any-opportunity-to-expose-people-to-art-on-a-mass/)

[Jeffrey Deitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-deitch/)

> [As an artist, it's always good to have some sort of magic involved in what you're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/as-an-artist-it-s-always-good-to-have-some-sort-of-magic-involved-in/)

[Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/)

> [Fred Astaire is my hero. I love him because he was willing to kill himself to make his art look effortless. And because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/fred-astaire-is-my-hero-i-love-him-because-he-was-willing-to-kill/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“Business art is the step that comes after art. I started as a commercial artist, and I want to finish as a business artist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/business-art-is-the-step-that-comes-after-art-i-started-as-a/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [People say if you keep making work and keep putting it out, better things will come. I think artists should never forget that. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalup-linzy/people-say-if-you-keep-making-work-and-keep-putting-it-out-better/)

[Kalup Linzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalup-linzy/)

> [I wouldn't know any other way to live except to be an artist. I'm not very good at anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-tomaselli/i-wouldn-t-know-any-other-way-to-live-except-to-be-an-artist-i-m-not/)

[Fred Tomaselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-tomaselli/)

> [In England, pop music seems now to be exclusively for children. If an artist is no good, why is it necessary to have that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/in-england-pop-music-seems-now-to-be-exclusively-for-children-if-an/)

[Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/)

> [If the chemistry between me and the artist is good, then that's half the battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-rechtshaid/if-the-chemistry-between-me-and-the-artist-is-good-then-that-s-half/)

[Ariel Rechtshaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-rechtshaid/)

> [I think that fame only goes to your head if you are not a real artist. If you are a real artist and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-starlight/i-think-that-fame-only-goes-to-your-head-if-you-are-not-a-real-artist/)

[Lady Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-starlight/)

> [There is no such thing as an amateur artist as different from a professional artist. There is only good art and bad art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cezanne/there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-amateur-artist-as-different-from-a/)

[Paul Cezanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cezanne/)

## More by Ben Eine

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I don't want to sell to street art collectors, I want to sell to art collectors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-don-t-want-to-sell-to-street-art-collectors-i-want-to-sell-to-art/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [My work isn't overtly political, although it is sometimes painted in places where I don't have permission to paint, so that could be construed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/my-work-isn-t-overtly-political-although-it-is-sometimes-painted-in/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I've a lot of respect for what people are doing here in Manchester, to promote the city's creativity and Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-ve-a-lot-of-respect-for-what-people-are-doing-here-in-manchester-to/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [It makes me really proud to be able to use my art to spread positive messages around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/it-makes-me-really-proud-to-be-able-to-use-my-art-to-spread-positive/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [For me, it's mostly about having stuff on the street. You're walking down the street, you do it every day, and suddenly there's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/for-me-it-s-mostly-about-having-stuff-on-the-street-you-re-walking/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [Most people think I do street art, so I do everything for nothing. I'm an urchin who paints walls and does work for nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/most-people-think-i-do-street-art-so-i-do-everything-for-nothing-i-m/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [All too often, when people think about art in the U.K., they think London. There's some really great work being produced outside of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/all-too-often-when-people-think-about-art-in-the-u-k-they-think/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [Street art, unlike graffiti, adds to the environment and is a positive experience for the artist and community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/street-art-unlike-graffiti-adds-to-the-environment-and-is-a-positive/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [You just have to be clever about who you work with. Had I done Gap or H&amp;M, there's no way Louis Vuitton would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/you-just-have-to-be-clever-about-who-you-work-with-had-i-done-gap-or/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [David Cameron has given one of my paintings to President Obama. It's quite mad, really. But it's OK. It's not the kind of recognition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/david-cameron-has-given-one-of-my-paintings-to-president-obama-it-s/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I love to paint and beautify the most unexpected of places - I've painted everything from doorways to trains but have always wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-love-to-paint-and-beautify-the-most-unexpected-of-places-i-ve/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [Whenever I go anywhere in the world to do a show I try to paint something in the street as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/whenever-i-go-anywhere-in-the-world-to-do-a-show-i-try-to-paint/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I don't get paid for what I do in public places. So I invest the money I earn in galleries back into doing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-don-t-get-paid-for-what-i-do-in-public-places-so-i-invest-the-money/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I'm always travelling and spend a lot of time in airports so I know what it feels like to get a personal welcome home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-m-always-travelling-and-spend-a-lot-of-time-in-airports-so-i-know/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

[Explore all 55 Ben Eine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

## More Artist quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [“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/)

> [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/)

[St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/)

> [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 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/)

> [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/)

[Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/)

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/)

[Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/)

> [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

[Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Banksy's a very selfish, driven, paranoid artist. For good reasons.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ben Eine"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid-artist-for-good-reasons/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Artist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid-artist-for-good-reasons/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/ben-eine-12306_artist_banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid_1411215.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/ben-eine-12306_artist_banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid_1411215.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/ben-eine-12306_artist_banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid_1411215.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Banksy's a very selfish, driven, paranoid artist. For good reasons.” — Ben Eine",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ben Eine",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Banksy's a very selfish, driven, paranoid...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid-artist-for-good-reasons/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/banksy-s-a-very-selfish-driven-paranoid-artist-for-good-reasons/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
