--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A painting lets us know how somebody…" description: "\"A painting lets us know how somebody literally saw things. A piece of music is another language that transmits a whole wealth of emotion and wordless e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4eb/claire-messud-1372_experience_a-painting-lets-us-know-how-somebody-lit_1002763.jpg" --- # A painting lets us know how somebody literally saw things… ![“A painting lets us know how somebody literally saw things. A piece of music is another language that transmits a whole wealth of emotion and wordless experience. But writing is special in the way at allows us to temporarily enter another person's world, to step outside the boundaries of our own…” quote by Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4eb/claire-messud-1372_experience_a-painting-lets-us-know-how-somebody-lit_1002763.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4eb/claire-messud-1372_experience_a-painting-lets-us-know-how-somebody-lit_1002763.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4eb/claire-messud-1372_experience_a-painting-lets-us-know-how-somebody-lit_1002763.jpg) > “A painting lets us know how somebody literally saw things. A piece of music is another language that transmits a whole wealth of emotion and wordless experience. But writing is special in the way at allows us to temporarily enter another person's world, to step outside the boundaries of our own time and space.” [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing uniquely lets us inhabit another's perspective, transcending time and space, unlike visual or musical arts. **In simple terms:** Writing transports us into others' worlds. Key Takeaway Use writing to broaden empathy. Themes creativity empathy perspective communication Mood reflective inspirational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - teaching - therapy - storytelling - cross‑cultural exchange Key Concepts narrative immersion temporal transcendence Questions to Reflect On - What does writing reveal about yourself? - How can you use writing to bridge cultural gaps? A Different Perspective Writing may not fully capture lived experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Experience Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-writing-289386/) [Language Transmits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-transmits-2126770/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Piece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piece/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time and space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-and-space/) [Wordless Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wordless-experience-2126771/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [When we are bursting with some wordless experience, Art is our voice, the song of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schmid/when-we-are-bursting-with-some-wordless-experience-art-is-our-voice/) [Richard Schmid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schmid/) > [Its impossible to control the reception of your work - the only thing you can control is the experience of writing itself, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/its-impossible-to-control-the-reception-of-your-work-the-only-thing/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [In general, my own experience of writing an adaptation of 'Evening' gave me a chance to get into different parts of the book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-minot/in-general-my-own-experience-of-writing-an-adaptation-of-evening-gave/) [Susan Minot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-minot/) > [In my experience, writing a novel tends to create its own structure, its own demands, its own language, its own ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/in-my-experience-writing-a-novel-tends-to-create-its-own-structure/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [The experience of writing 'The Kite Runner' is one I will always think back on with fondness. There is an energy, a romance in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/the-experience-of-writing-the-kite-runner-is-one-i-will-always-think/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [We had absolutely no experience in writing kids books and its a very competitive market. But we buy and read a lot of children's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fletcher/we-had-absolutely-no-experience-in-writing-kids-books-and-its-a-very/) [Tom Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fletcher/) > [I've never been much of a craftsman, in an educated way. 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Ultimately, you fall in love with the characters, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-kinberg/when-you-re-actually-inside-the-experience-of-writing-something-in/) [Simon Kinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-kinberg/) > [One of the ready advantages of writing a road or quest story is that it mirrors the experience of writing a novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/one-of-the-ready-advantages-of-writing-a-road-or-quest-story-is-that/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [The reading of a poem should be an experience. Its writing must be all the more so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/the-reading-of-a-poem-should-be-an-experience-its-writing-must-be-all/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [For me the experience of writing is really an experience of losing control… I think it's very much like dreaming or like surfing. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/for-me-the-experience-of-writing-is-really-an-experience-of-losing/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Because I'm an art historian, I have some experience of writing that comes out of close attention. That's what really art history is. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/because-i-m-an-art-historian-i-have-some-experience-of-writing-that/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [“ (About her brief experience writing greeting cards...) I even wrote for a greeting card company -- for about a month. A family friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-j-stone/about-her-brief-experience-writing-greeting-cards-i-even-wrote-for-a/) [Donna J. Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-j-stone/) > [I've always wanted to be a part of that experience of writing to an audience that is just starting to fall in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mlynowski/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-a-part-of-that-experience-of-writing-to-an/) [Sarah Mlynowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mlynowski/) ## More by Claire Messud > [I'd wish for my work to be remembered rather than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-d-wish-for-my-work-to-be-remembered-rather-than-myself/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I have said it somewhere - our literary lived lives are as important as our literally lived lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-have-said-it-somewhere-our-literary-lived-lives-are-as-important-as/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Life is about deciding what matters. It’s about the fantasy that determines the reality. Have you ever asked yourself whether you’d rather fly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-is-about-deciding-what-matters-it-s-about-the-fantasy-that/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Life's funny. 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It’s the most precious gift I can give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/who-i-am-in-my-head-very-few-people-really-get-to-see-that-almost/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“My everyday Appleton life, my phones calls to my father, my occasional beers with friends, my Saturday-morning jobs around the reservoir - what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/my-everyday-appleton-life-my-phones-calls-to-my-father-my-occasional/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) [Explore all 249 Claire Messud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## More Experience quotes > [Experience makes a lesson to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/experience-makes-a-lesson-to-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [From my experience of having served for 3000 days, I can say that anything can be achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/from-my-experience-of-having-served-for-3000-days-i-can-say-that/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Iranians hate Arabs. They're a fairly well-educated population and they have centuries of experience with self-government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/iranians-hate-arabs-they-re-a-fairly-well-educated-population-and/) [Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/) > [Education is a lifelong experience. Experience is a lifelong education. Education plus experience equals expertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bugeja/education-is-a-lifelong-experience-experience-is-a-lifelong-education/) [Michael Bugeja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bugeja/) > [Prison experience puts distance between me and any person who hasn't been there, done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/prison-experience-puts-distance-between-me-and-any-person-who-hasn-t/) [Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/) > [Experience is a thorough teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jane-holmes/experience-is-a-thorough-teacher/) [Mary Jane Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jane-holmes/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I've had a great experience with pretty much everybody I've worked with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/i-ve-had-a-great-experience-with-pretty-much-everybody-i-ve-worked/) [Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/) > [It wasn't a mistake, it was a fun learning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-wasn-t-a-mistake-it-was-a-fun-learning-experience/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) [Browse all 11,792 Experience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A painting lets us know how somebody literally saw things. A piece of music is another language that transmits a whole wealth of emotion and wordless experience. 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