--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Artists don't compare themselves to each…" description: "\"Artists don't compare themselves to each other based on money. Nobody really knows what money other artists have. They don't care that much. The measur..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ca/donald-sultan-95572_art_artists-don-t-compare-themselves-to-each_2851013.jpg" --- # Artists don't compare themselves to each other based on… ![“Artists don't compare themselves to each other based on money. Nobody really knows what money other artists have. They don't care that much. The measure is the work and how you think your work is perceived. How the museums are. How you are doing.” quote by Donald Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ca/donald-sultan-95572_art_artists-don-t-compare-themselves-to-each_2851013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ca/donald-sultan-95572_art_artists-don-t-compare-themselves-to-each_2851013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ca/donald-sultan-95572_art_artists-don-t-compare-themselves-to-each_2851013.jpg) > “Artists don't compare themselves to each other based on money. Nobody really knows what money other artists have. They don't care that much. The measure is the work and how you think your work is perceived. How the museums are. How you are doing.” [Donald Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sultan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists should judge work by its quality and perception, not by financial comparison with peers. **In simple terms:** Judge art by merit, not money. Key Takeaway Focus on creative value over earnings. Themes art valuation perception Mood reflective analytical Type interview opinion When to use this quote - art education - curatorial work - artist mentorship Key Concepts gallery practices artist community market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure artistic success? - What role does money play in art? A Different Perspective Money can still influence opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Based](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/based/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare/) [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Each](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/each/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Measure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measure/) [Measure Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measure-work-3793167/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-artists-1084799/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [Museums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museums/) [Nobody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobody/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Perceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceived/) [Perceived Museums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceived-museums-3793166/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/themselves/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Perceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-perceived-3793168/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/measure-not-the-work-until-the-day-s-out-and-the-labor-done/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [I think so often, especially if the work is perceived of as being drawn from life, the woman, not her book, is reviewed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-zambreno/i-think-so-often-especially-if-the-work-is-perceived-of-as-being/) [Kate Zambreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-zambreno/) > [I'm against government giving money to artists, but I'm not against artists taking money. Just like I don't have a moral problem with people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-brown/i-m-against-government-giving-money-to-artists-but-i-m-not-against/) [Chester Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-brown/) > [“I think we should throw money at artists, not at girls who take their clothes off because they made a bad choice in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darnell-lamont-walker/i-think-we-should-throw-money-at-artists-not-at-girls-who-take-their/) [Darnell Lamont Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darnell-lamont-walker/) > [I see more and more that my work goes infinitely better when I am properly fed, and the paints are there, and the studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-see-more-and-more-that-my-work-goes-infinitely-better-when-i-am/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“Society has always said: Make money. Artists have said: But there's something else. Cliché City. But in Hollwood there's the Big Lie that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/society-has-always-said-make-money-artists-have-said-but-there-s/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [It's harder to make money when you're not a machine in a massive apparatus designed only to make money, but artists will figure it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-baumann/it-s-harder-to-make-money-when-you-re-not-a-machine-in-a-massive/) [Ken Baumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-baumann/) > [I suppose Spotify is a good thing. The ads are quite annoying, but a lot of people seem to like it and use it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-harris/i-suppose-spotify-is-a-good-thing-the-ads-are-quite-annoying-but-a/) [Calvin Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-harris/) > [Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, U2, The Rolling Stones - there are a lot of artists selling out stadiums around the world that we work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rapino/dave-matthews-tim-mcgraw-u2-the-rolling-stones-there-are-a-lot-of/) [Michael Rapino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rapino/) > [We're in an era where the demand is for immediate hits that are destined to become obsolescent. Six months later, everyone forgets the artist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/we-re-in-an-era-where-the-demand-is-for-immediate-hits-that-are/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [Fish cakes are perceived as being quite British, and they're always a bit brown and a little dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/fish-cakes-are-perceived-as-being-quite-british-and-they-re-always-a/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [Ultimately, the problem is that sex is perceived as a personal, intimate thing, not in the realm of science. But that's not true. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/ultimately-the-problem-is-that-sex-is-perceived-as-a-personal/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) ## More by Donald Sultan > [I don't think anybody ever makes any money buying and selling stock. They have to make money by keeping the stock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sultan/i-don-t-think-anybody-ever-makes-any-money-buying-and-selling-stock/) [Donald Sultan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sultan/) [Explore all 2 Donald Sultan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sultan/) ## 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": "Artists don't compare themselves to each other based on money. 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