--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is, we haven't really figured…" description: "\"The truth is, we haven't really figured out yet how artists are going to thrive in modern mass societies. We're all experiments.\" — Brad Holland" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/brad-holland-24482_art_the-truth-is-we-haven-t-really-figured-o_2229906.jpg" --- # The truth is, we haven't really figured out yet how… ![“The truth is, we haven't really figured out yet how artists are going to thrive in modern mass societies. We're all experiments.” quote by Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/brad-holland-24482_art_the-truth-is-we-haven-t-really-figured-o_2229906.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/brad-holland-24482_art_the-truth-is-we-haven-t-really-figured-o_2229906.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/brad-holland-24482_art_the-truth-is-we-haven-t-really-figured-o_2229906.jpg) > “The truth is, we haven't really figured out yet how artists are going to thrive in modern mass societies. We're all experiments.” [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists lack clear pathways to success in today's mass media landscape, making their careers experimental. **In simple terms:** Artists are uncertain how to succeed now. Key Takeaway Seek adaptable strategies. Themes creativity economy uncertainty Mood anxious hopeful Type observational critical When to use this quote - Music industry - visual arts - freelance work - social media branding Key Concepts Cultural economics digital media Questions to Reflect On - How can artists build sustainable careers? - What role should institutions play? A Different Perspective Success may depend on unpredictable trends. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Societies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/societies/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Individuals are prey to institutions in modern mass societies... Individuals can struggle mightily against institutionalized conditions, but without changing the institutions themselves, those efforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-awehali/individuals-are-prey-to-institutions-in-modern-mass-societies/) [Brian Awehali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-awehali/) > [Artists have to show us what is not going well within the person and within the society, not try to cover it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/artists-have-to-show-us-what-is-not-going-well-within-the-person-and/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [At Pixar, of course, we have all these people, and they're just used to our process now where it's a discussion; it's a discovery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/at-pixar-of-course-we-have-all-these-people-and-they-re-just-used-to/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [Musicians and artists, they are going to stand together for community and you are going to bring people in and figure out what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-tedeschi/musicians-and-artists-they-are-going-to-stand-together-for-community/) [Susan Tedeschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-tedeschi/) > [I've watched so many women, from Kathleen Hanna all the way up to Taylor Swift, whether they're pop artists or rock stars or fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-ve-watched-so-many-women-from-kathleen-hanna-all-the-way-up-to/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I wish that the arts were better supported, and you can't say that enough times, but I also believe that whatever happens, artists will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-wish-that-the-arts-were-better-supported-and-you-can-t-say-that/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I think artists are going to express things from an emotional point of view, that's their job, to suggest and interpret, and report what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-things-from-an-emotional-point/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [Artists are going to be the metronome of this society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/artists-are-going-to-be-the-metronome-of-this-society/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [the capacity to work feeds on itself and has its own course of development. This is what artists have going for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-truitt/the-capacity-to-work-feeds-on-itself-and-has-its-own-course-of/) [Anne Truitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-truitt/) > [Artists are not going to put somebody new in the president's chair. It's all worth the effort; it all needs to be done. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-dylan/artists-are-not-going-to-put-somebody-new-in-the-president-s-chair-it/) [Jakob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-dylan/) > [In aristocratic societies, rich people used to commission exquisite paintings for their walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/in-aristocratic-societies-rich-people-used-to-commission-exquisite/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [All societies are historical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-queneau/all-societies-are-historical/) [Raymond Queneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-queneau/) > [Class - or the economic status of individuals - is evident in all societies, some very well stratified by a rigid caste system determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/class-or-the-economic-status-of-individuals-is-evident-in-all/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Homer, Hesiod, Pythagoras, Plato, and Cicero, just to name a few, all lived in pagan societies. Some of the greatest political and military leaders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/homer-hesiod-pythagoras-plato-and-cicero-just-to-name-a-few-all-lived/) [Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/) > [Societies that are disciplined to get what they want become dangerous when they don't get what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/societies-that-are-disciplined-to-get-what-they-want-become-dangerous/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) ## More by Brad Holland > [All the other kids in ninth grade were drawing hot rods and cocker spaniels and getting blue ribbons in art class. I was getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/all-the-other-kids-in-ninth-grade-were-drawing-hot-rods-and-cocker/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [If they were starting their careers today, Rockwell and Picasso would probably both be painting on black velvet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/if-they-were-starting-their-careers-today-rockwell-and-picasso-would/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Political art expresses the cliches you agree with, unlike propaganda, which expresses the cliches you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/political-art-expresses-the-cliches-you-agree-with-unlike-propaganda/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Futurism: This was a movement of intellectuals who wanted to replace tradition with the modern world of machinery, speed, violence, and public relations. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/futurism-this-was-a-movement-of-intellectuals-who-wanted-to-replace/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [In aristocratic societies, rich people used to commission exquisite paintings for their walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/in-aristocratic-societies-rich-people-used-to-commission-exquisite/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [In America, the only truly popular art form is the movies. Most people consider painting a hobby and literature, schoolwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/in-america-the-only-truly-popular-art-form-is-the-movies-most-people/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Many of the contradictions in Postmodern art come from the fact that we're trying to be artists in a democratic society. This is because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/many-of-the-contradictions-in-postmodern-art-come-from-the-fact-that/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Many people decorate their homes with designer graffiti, even though most of them would probably have real graffiti scoured off the walls of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/many-people-decorate-their-homes-with-designer-graffiti-even-though/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [In Modernism, reality used to validate media. In Postmodernism, the media validate reality. If you don't believe this, just think how many times you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/in-modernism-reality-used-to-validate-media-in-postmodernism-the/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Art imitates life. Life imitates high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/art-imitates-life-life-imitates-high-school/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Your biggest influences are the earliest ones. When I was young, I was very influenced by the short stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/your-biggest-influences-are-the-earliest-ones-when-i-was-young-i-was/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Style is the most valuable asset of the modern artist. That's probably why so many styles are reported lost or stolen each year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/style-is-the-most-valuable-asset-of-the-modern-artist-that-s-probably/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Fifty years ago, it was the dream of every bohemian artist to be seen getting out of a limousine wearing blue jeans and sneakers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/fifty-years-ago-it-was-the-dream-of-every-bohemian-artist-to-be-seen/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [Postmodernists believe that truth is myth, and myth, truth. This equation has its roots in pop psychology. The same people also believe that emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/postmodernists-believe-that-truth-is-myth-and-myth-truth-this/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) > [I don't get ideas, I have them. The trick is to remember where I've put them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-holland/i-don-t-get-ideas-i-have-them-the-trick-is-to-remember-where-i-ve-put/) [Brad Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) [Explore all 24 Brad Holland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-holland/) ## 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. 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": "The truth is, we haven't really figured out yet how artists are going to thrive in modern mass societies. 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