--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You've got to be in a place where you can…" description: "\"You've got to be in a place where you can put your guard down. I've got a long list of things I consider to be selling out. But amongst that list, one ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c1/devendra-banhart-3176_art_you-ve-got-to-be-in-a-place-where-you-ca_653140.png" --- # You've got to be in a place where you can put your guard… ![“You've got to be in a place where you can put your guard down. I've got a long list of things I consider to be selling out. But amongst that list, one of them is when you make art without putting your guard down.” quote by Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c1/devendra-banhart-3176_art_you-ve-got-to-be-in-a-place-where-you-ca_653140.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c1/devendra-banhart-3176_art_you-ve-got-to-be-in-a-place-where-you-ca_653140.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c1/devendra-banhart-3176_art_you-ve-got-to-be-in-a-place-where-you-ca_653140.png) > “You've got to be in a place where you can put your guard down. I've got a long list of things I consider to be selling out. But amongst that list, one of them is when you make art without putting your guard down.” [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating authentic art requires vulnerability; hiding behind defenses leads to inauthentic work. **In simple terms:** Art needs honesty and openness. Key Takeaway Be open when creating. Themes creativity authenticity vulnerability Mood introspective reflective Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - painting - writing - music performance - public speaking Key Concepts self‑expression artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - How does vulnerability affect your creative process? - What risks do you face when you lower your guard? A Different Perspective Some audiences may misinterpret openness as weakness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Putting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-putting-1201532/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Consider Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider-selling-1201531/) [Lists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lists/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Make Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-art/) [Place Guard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-guard-5218610/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Selling out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling-out/) ## Related quotes > [I've got a long list of things I consider to be selling out. But amongst that list, one of them is when you make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-ve-got-a-long-list-of-things-i-consider-to-be-selling-out-but/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [You should consider an employment change before you consider selling out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/you-should-consider-an-employment-change-before-you-consider-selling/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) > [I could never say that I wouldn't consider selling the Knicks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-dolan/i-could-never-say-that-i-wouldn-t-consider-selling-the-knicks/) [James L. Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-dolan/) > [There is a certain vulnerability to creating art and putting it out in the world for the first time, but again, there's a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillipa-soo/there-is-a-certain-vulnerability-to-creating-art-and-putting-it-out/) [Phillipa Soo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillipa-soo/) > [The art of making art, is putting it together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/the-art-of-making-art-is-putting-it-together/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [Any piece of art, when you're putting it on a certain platform, if the platform becomes a political place, you can manipulate things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/any-piece-of-art-when-you-re-putting-it-on-a-certain-platform-if-the/) [M.I.A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-i-a/) > [I don't make art to make money, I make art so I can make art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-don-t-make-art-to-make-money-i-make-art-so-i-can-make-art/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [You get moments all the time that kind of make you pinch yourself, some of them make you quite emotional. Winning a BRIT was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-styles/you-get-moments-all-the-time-that-kind-of-make-you-pinch-yourself/) [Harry Styles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-styles/) > [I was just worried that someone was gonna think that I had been commissioned by Jamba Juice to make cartoons about Jamba Juice. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-was-just-worried-that-someone-was-gonna-think-that-i-had-been/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [My goals have changed throughout my life. At one time it was winning awards, selling out concert dates, selling more albums than anyone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/my-goals-have-changed-throughout-my-life-at-one-time-it-was-winning/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I didn't want to do film or commercials or television. That was cheap. That was selling out. I was the classic liberal, left-wing, 'Theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moyer/i-didn-t-want-to-do-film-or-commercials-or-television-that-was-cheap/) [Stephen Moyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moyer/) > [I'm not selling out, denying who I am or where I've come from, not at all. I acknowledge that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-iglesias/i-m-not-selling-out-denying-who-i-am-or-where-i-ve-come-from-not-at/) [Gabriel Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-iglesias/) > [I'm not in any way selling out by having a record that's good enough for radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnis/i-m-not-in-any-way-selling-out-by-having-a-record-that-s-good-enough/) [Donnis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnis/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“The saddest thing about selling out is just how cheaply most of us do it for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bernard-frost/the-saddest-thing-about-selling-out-is-just-how-cheaply-most-of-us-do/) [James Bernard Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bernard-frost/) ## More by Devendra Banhart > [I was born with a beard. We're quite hairy down in Latin America. We don't have to use sponges when we wash dishes. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-was-born-with-a-beard-we-re-quite-hairy-down-in-latin-america-we/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [People love to take sides, but it's not effective. It's not really an effective way of communicating something, because you're either already part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/people-love-to-take-sides-but-it-s-not-effective-it-s-not-really-an/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [I think five percent of all songs can be love songs, and another five percent can be miscellaneous or political, but the rest should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-think-five-percent-of-all-songs-can-be-love-songs-and-another-five/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [Growing up in Caracas, Venezuela, the ubiquitous music is salsa, cumbia, merengue, a little bit of samba.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/growing-up-in-caracas-venezuela-the-ubiquitous-music-is-salsa-cumbia/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [I've always said that musicians are the comics of my generations and comedians are the politicians of my generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-ve-always-said-that-musicians-are-the-comics-of-my-generations-and/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [I've always wanted to write a song that goes, "I love you" and a book that goes, "Something happened." Something very direct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-ve-always-wanted-to-write-a-song-that-goes-i-love-you-and-a-book/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [We live in an age where many things are working hard to conk us out and anesthetize us. Anything we can do to shake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/we-live-in-an-age-where-many-things-are-working-hard-to-conk-us-out/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [R. Kelly is my favorite singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/r-kelly-is-my-favorite-singer/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [When the Internet came along, the first thing I did was look up Wu-Tang so I could print out their symbol and glue it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/when-the-internet-came-along-the-first-thing-i-did-was-look-up-wu/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [And because my teeth don't bite, I can take them out dancing I can take my little teeth out and show them a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/and-because-my-teeth-don-t-bite-i-can-take-them-out-dancing-i-can/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [I've always noticed talking about lyrics is like talking about a duality. It's like a Gemini time every time I talk about one line.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-ve-always-noticed-talking-about-lyrics-is-like-talking-about-a/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [My number-one hero in terms of interdisciplinary art is Laurie Anderson, but I've always admired anyone who can think way beyond any one medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/my-number-one-hero-in-terms-of-interdisciplinary-art-is-laurie/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [I've always thought it'd be nice to be seaweed, kind of just floating about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-ve-always-thought-it-d-be-nice-to-be-seaweed-kind-of-just-floating/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [I love Meredith Monk, and with Instagram, I get a chance to see if she has a cat, and what's she reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-love-meredith-monk-and-with-instagram-i-get-a-chance-to-see-if-she/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [I do have very small handwriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-do-have-very-small-handwriting/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) [Explore all 137 Devendra Banhart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) ## 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. 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