---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I succeeded as a cartoonist with…"
description: "\"“I succeeded as a cartoonist with negligible art talent, some basic writing skills, an ordinary sense of humor and a bit of experience in the business ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/chris-guillebeau-9841_art_i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligi_2448481.jpg"
---

#  I succeeded as a cartoonist with negligible art talent…

![“I succeeded as a cartoonist with negligible art talent, some basic writing skills, an ordinary sense of humor and a bit of experience in the business world. The “Dilbert” comic is a combination of all four skills. The world has plenty of better artists, smarter writers, funnier humorists and more…” quote by Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/chris-guillebeau-9841_art_i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligi_2448481.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/chris-guillebeau-9841_art_i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligi_2448481.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/chris-guillebeau-9841_art_i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligi_2448481.jpg)

> ““I succeeded as a cartoonist with negligible art talent, some basic writing skills, an ordinary sense of humor and a bit of experience in the business world. The “Dilbert” comic is a combination of all four skills. The world has plenty of better artists, smarter writers, funnier humorists and more experienced business people. The rare part is that each of those modest skills is collected in one person. That’s how value is created.†””

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

## About This Quote

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

Success can arise from modest, diverse skills combined uniquely in one person, creating value despite others being better in each area.

**In simple terms:** Combining modest talents can create unique value.

Key Takeaway

Leverage your varied skills together.

Themes

creativity business skill integration value creation

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- career development
- entrepreneurship
- creative projects
- team building

Key Concepts

multidisciplinary talent unique value proposition

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you combine your own modest skills?
- What unique value can you offer?

A Different Perspective

Other factors like market timing also matter.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-talent-218790/) [Business people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-people/) [Business world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-world/) [Cartoonist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cartoonist/) [Dilbert Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilbert-comic-299978/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Sense of humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-humor/) [Succeeded Cartoonist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeeded-cartoonist-549953/) [World Dilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-dilbert-549952/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [My failed corporate career became the fodder for the 'Dilbert' comic. Once it became clear I would not be climbing any higher on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/my-failed-corporate-career-became-the-fodder-for-the-dilbert-comic/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“Our connection to art has less to do with talent and more to do with the emotion it stirs inside us. And perhaps our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-deese/our-connection-to-art-has-less-to-do-with-talent-and-more-to-do-with/)

[Nicole Deese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-deese/)

> [Art or talent, for an artist, is merely a means of applying his personal faculties to the ideas and the things of the period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-courbet/art-or-talent-for-an-artist-is-merely-a-means-of-applying-his/)

[Gustave Courbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-courbet/)

> [There is nothing new in art except talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-is-nothing-new-in-art-except-talent/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [There is nothing so terrible as the pursuit of art by those who have no talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-is-nothing-so-terrible-as-the-pursuit-of-art-by-those-who-have/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [Everybody has some talents - we all have an art side and some talent - but you have some areas where you are better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-martinez/everybody-has-some-talents-we-all-have-an-art-side-and-some-talent/)

[Olivier Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-martinez/)

> [I was a very sickly kid. While I was in the hospital at age seven, my Dad brought me a stack of comic books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-wein/i-was-a-very-sickly-kid-while-i-was-in-the-hospital-at-age-seven-my/)

[Len Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-wein/)

> [Art is not so much talent as character… it's what you are, the qualities of the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-it-s-what-you-are-the/)

[John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/)

> [If you respect the art and you have some talent about you, I'm on your team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/if-you-respect-the-art-and-you-have-some-talent-about-you-i-m-on-your/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [Donald Trump entered the business world as a racist, he entered the 2016 election as a racist, and he entered the White House as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karine-jean-pierre/donald-trump-entered-the-business-world-as-a-racist-he-entered-the/)

[Karine Jean-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karine-jean-pierre/)

> [The biggest risk is not taking any risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/the-biggest-risk-is-not-taking-any-risk/)

[Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/)

> [If a fellow wants to be nobody in the business world, let him neglect sending the mailman to somebody on his behalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/if-a-fellow-wants-to-be-nobody-in-the-business-world-let-him-neglect/)

[Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/)

> [If you're talking about intellectual and social equality for women, we're not much better off.America is still very much a male-dominated society. Most American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/if-you-re-talking-about-intellectual-and-social-equality-for-women-we/)

[Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/)

> [In the business world, bad news is usually good news - for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/in-the-business-world-bad-news-is-usually-good-news-for-somebody-else/)

[James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/)

> [There's a subterranean impetus towards pornography so powerful that half the business world is juiced by the sort of half sex that one finds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/there-s-a-subterranean-impetus-towards-pornography-so-powerful-that/)

[Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/)

## More by Chris Guillebeau

> [“Compared with working just to make a living, it’s much easier to do what you love and get paid for it. You just have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/compared-with-working-just-to-make-a-living-it-s-much-easier-to-do/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [In the long-term, security comes from an asset you create or acquire, not a position in someone else's asset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/in-the-long-term-security-comes-from-an-asset-you-create-or-acquire/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [If you make your business about helping others, you'll always have plenty of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/if-you-make-your-business-about-helping-others-you-ll-always-have/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [Regret is what you should fear the most. If something is going to keep you awake at night, let it be the fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/regret-is-what-you-should-fear-the-most-if-something-is-going-to-keep/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/you-don-t-have-to-live-your-life-the-way-other-people-expect-you-to/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [“The concept of deferred gratification, or sacrificing now to save for the future, can be helpful in setting aside money in a retirement account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/the-concept-of-deferred-gratification-or-sacrificing-now-to-save-for/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [Why travel - because the world was meant to be experienced, not imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/why-travel-because-the-world-was-meant-to-be-experienced-not-imagined/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [We often feel paralyzed by choice and make no choice. But the thing is, no choice is a choice. If you’re not doing something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/we-often-feel-paralyzed-by-choice-and-make-no-choice-but-the-thing-is/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [ “\[...\] it's about challenge and fulfillment, finding the perfect combination of striving and achievement that comes from reaching a big goal.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/it-s-about-challenge-and-fulfillment-finding-the-perfect-combination/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [Some people think self-employment is risky, but the real risk lies in deriving your security from an external source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/some-people-think-self-employment-is-risky-but-the-real-risk-lies-in/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [“What if you save for 40 years, putting off all kinds of opportunities, then get hit by a bus the day before retirement? Better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/what-if-you-save-for-40-years-putting-off-all-kinds-of-opportunities/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [Courage comes through achievement, but also through the attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/courage-comes-through-achievement-but-also-through-the-attempt/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [“To succeed in a business project, especially one you’re excited about, it helps to think carefully about all the skills you have that could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/to-succeed-in-a-business-project-especially-one-you-re-excited-about/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [Your possibilities are unlimited, but it all begins with the deliberate choice to think differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/your-possibilities-are-unlimited-but-it-all-begins-with-the/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [It's a lonely road for those of us who choose to be remarkable, and the path of convention can sometimes be appealing. That path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/it-s-a-lonely-road-for-those-of-us-who-choose-to-be-remarkable-and/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

[Explore all 65 Chris Guillebeau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

## 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": "“I succeeded as a cartoonist with negligible art talent, some basic writing skills, an ordinary sense of humor and a bit of experience in the business world. The “Dilbert” comic is a combination of all four skills. The world has plenty of better artists, smarter writers, funnier humorists and more experienced business people. The rare part is that each of those modest skills is collected in one person. That’s how value is created.†”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chris Guillebeau"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligible-art-talent-some-basic/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligible-art-talent-some-basic/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/chris-guillebeau-9841_art_i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligi_2448481.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/chris-guillebeau-9841_art_i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligi_2448481.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/chris-guillebeau-9841_art_i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligi_2448481.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I succeeded as a cartoonist with negligible art talent, some basic writing skills, an ordinary sense of…” — Chris Guillebeau",
                "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": "Chris Guillebeau",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I succeeded as a cartoonist with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligible-art-talent-some-basic/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligible-art-talent-some-basic/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
