--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True freedom only exists in art.The…" description: "\"“True freedom only exists in art.The problem is you have to be incredibly good.No,I am putting it wrong:You don't so much have to be outstanding,what y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/esther-verhoef-45985_art_true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-prob_338446.jpg" --- # True freedom only exists in art.The problem is you have to… ![“True freedom only exists in art.The problem is you have to be incredibly good.No,I am putting it wrong:You don't so much have to be outstanding,what you really need are connections,if you don't want to be dependent on all kinds of government foundations who will impose their ideas and restrictions…” quote by Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/esther-verhoef-45985_art_true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-prob_338446.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/esther-verhoef-45985_art_true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-prob_338446.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/esther-verhoef-45985_art_true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-prob_338446.jpg) > ““True freedom only exists in art.The problem is you have to be incredibly good.No,I am putting it wrong:You don't so much have to be outstanding,what you really need are connections,if you don't want to be dependent on all kinds of government foundations who will impose their ideas and restrictions on you in turn.It can be touch and go in the beginning:It takes guts to let go of everything.But you make it,you're free.”” [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that true artistic freedom requires skill, connections, and independence from restrictive funding, emphasizing courage to let go of constraints. **In simple terms:** Freedom in art needs talent, networks, and autonomy from limiting support. Key Takeaway Build skill, network, and independence for artistic liberty. Themes artistic freedom skill networking independence Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grant applications - gallery shows - self‑publishing - collaborative projects Key Concepts Creative autonomy institutional critique risk‑taking Questions to Reflect On - How will you secure resources without compromising vision? - What risks are you willing to take for freedom? A Different Perspective Dependence on funding can still influence content. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-problem-3151415/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Close-up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-up/) [Esther-verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esther-verhoef-57487/) [Exists Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exists-art-377361/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-exists-815730/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [True freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-freedom/) ## Related quotes > [“You arrange your life based on what "everyone" thinks of you or what you think they think of you,whoever everyone is...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/you-arrange-your-life-based-on-what-everyone-thinks-of-you-or-what/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“There is too much pain in the world,in all shapes and forms.That is what these people represent.Pain from losing their homes,the death of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/there-is-too-much-pain-in-the-world-in-all-shapes-and-forms-that-is/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“Wonderful art can spring from misery,I'm the last person to deny that.I'd go even further:the best works of art of all time are probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/wonderful-art-can-spring-from-misery-i-m-the-last-person-to-deny-that/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“The bottom line is that in this world,you have to learn to set your own limits,because if you leave it to others,you'll only discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/the-bottom-line-is-that-in-this-world-you-have-to-learn-to-set-your/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“Can it be true that freedom only exists when it is a treasure, shared by all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margarita-engle/can-it-be-true-that-freedom-only-exists-when-it-is-a-treasure-shared/) [Margarita Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margarita-engle/) > [“Freedom is not the absence of commitment, and to be committed to something or to someone does not mean the loss of freedom. 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It would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-cattelan/i-m-not-saying-the-1970s-was-a-golden-age-i-don-t-believe-such-a/) [Maurizio Cattelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-cattelan/) > [Nothing else exists when art does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-patrick-king/nothing-else-exists-when-art-does/) [Michael Patrick King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-patrick-king/) ## More by Esther Verhoef > [“It has struck me that people seldom listen to the meaning of underlying words.There are only a few people who recognize the silence beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/it-has-struck-me-that-people-seldom-listen-to-the-meaning-of/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“There is too much pain in the world,in all shapes and forms.That is what these people represent.Pain from losing their homes,the death of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/there-is-too-much-pain-in-the-world-in-all-shapes-and-forms-that-is/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“The western world now obeys the percepts of commerce.A bloody demanding religion,if you ask me.The do's and don'ts change every season and your "everyone"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/the-western-world-now-obeys-the-percepts-of-commerce-a-bloody/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“Wonderful art can spring from misery,I'm the last person to deny that.I'd go even further:the best works of art of all time are probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/wonderful-art-can-spring-from-misery-i-m-the-last-person-to-deny-that/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“Photography is like stealing.You rob someone of a moment that exposes something essential about their character,their soul if you like.there are people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/photography-is-like-stealing-you-rob-someone-of-a-moment-that-exposes/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“You arrange your life based on what "everyone" thinks of you or what you think they think of you,whoever everyone is...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/you-arrange-your-life-based-on-what-everyone-thinks-of-you-or-what/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) > [“The bottom line is that in this world,you have to learn to set your own limits,because if you leave it to others,you'll only discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/the-bottom-line-is-that-in-this-world-you-have-to-learn-to-set-your/) [Esther Verhoef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) [Explore all 8 Esther Verhoef quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/) ## 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. 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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. 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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": "“True freedom only exists in art.The problem is you have to be incredibly good.No,I am putting it wrong:You don't so much have to be outstanding,what you really need are connections,if you don't want to be dependent on all kinds of government foundations who will impose their ideas and restrictions on you in turn.It can be touch and go in the beginning:It takes guts to let go of everything.But you make it,you're free.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Esther Verhoef" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-problem-is-you-have-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-problem-is-you-have-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/esther-verhoef-45985_art_true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-prob_338446.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/esther-verhoef-45985_art_true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-prob_338446.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/esther-verhoef-45985_art_true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-prob_338446.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“True freedom only exists in art.The problem is you have to be incredibly good.No,I am putting it wrong:You…” — Esther Verhoef", "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": "Esther Verhoef", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-verhoef/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“True freedom only exists in art.The...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-problem-is-you-have-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-verhoef/true-freedom-only-exists-in-art-the-problem-is-you-have-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```