--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one thing I learned is not to say…" description: "\"The one thing I learned is not to say anything about my own paintings. Keep my mouth shut. You'll never stop hearing what you said. It will come back t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/frank-stella-17787_again-and-again_the-one-thing-i-learned-is-not-to-say-an_1167152.jpg" --- # The one thing I learned is not to say anything about my… ![“The one thing I learned is not to say anything about my own paintings. Keep my mouth shut. You'll never stop hearing what you said. It will come back to you again and again, people will always tell you about it. Even if you were the source of what's wrong with it.” quote by Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/frank-stella-17787_again-and-again_the-one-thing-i-learned-is-not-to-say-an_1167152.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/frank-stella-17787_again-and-again_the-one-thing-i-learned-is-not-to-say-an_1167152.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/frank-stella-17787_again-and-again_the-one-thing-i-learned-is-not-to-say-an_1167152.jpg) > “The one thing I learned is not to say anything about my own paintings. Keep my mouth shut. You'll never stop hearing what you said. It will come back to you again and again, people will always tell you about it. Even if you were the source of what's wrong with it.” [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silence about one's own work prevents endless self‑criticism and external misinterpretation. **In simple terms:** Keep quiet about your art to avoid over‑analysis. Key Takeaway Speak less, create more. Themes art criticism self‑expression humility Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - gallery openings - artist statements - social media posts Key Concepts creative process public perception Questions to Reflect On - When is it useful to share your work? - How does silence affect your creative flow? A Different Perspective Silence may limit valuable feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I heard it from a bird but ima tell it to the source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-heard-it-from-a-bird-but-ima-tell-it-to-the-source/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesn't stop you from having your own opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/people-can-tell-you-to-keep-your-mouth-shut-but-that-doesn-t-stop-you/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [I can say that paintings are prayers, they have to do with anything that makes you wish for more that what everyday life provides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rothenberg/i-can-say-that-paintings-are-prayers-they-have-to-do-with-anything/) [Susan Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rothenberg/) > [“Men who want nothing more than to show you their big huge-" She made a noise of half laughter, half disgust and shoved him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-grey/men-who-want-nothing-more-than-to-show-you-their-big-huge-she-made-a/) [Jeanette Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-grey/) > [Who's going to ask a painter to see a diploma? 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Giger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-giger/) > [I can't tell a story in the white man's language, so I say what I want to say with my paintings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-sapp/i-can-t-tell-a-story-in-the-white-man-s-language-so-i-say-what-i-want/) Allen Sapp > [Some of the pictures are truly mysterious to me.. which is why I so often say publicly that I don't know or don't care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rothenberg/some-of-the-pictures-are-truly-mysterious-to-me-which-is-why-i-so/) [Susan Rothenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rothenberg/) > [I'm not going to keep my mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-trucks/i-m-not-going-to-keep-my-mouth-shut/) [Butch Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-trucks/) > [When Jerry Lewis and I were big, we used to go to parties, and everybody thought I was big-headed and stuck up, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/when-jerry-lewis-and-i-were-big-we-used-to-go-to-parties-and/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [“Barbie wasn’t sure there was that much difference between city mice and country mice when they were under stress, but he kept his mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/barbie-wasn-t-sure-there-was-that-much-difference-between-city-mice/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Some people as a result of adversity are sadder, wiser, kinder, more human. 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You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/folks-don-t-like-to-have-somebody-around-knowin-more-than-they-do-it/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## More by Frank Stella > [Any artist can't get away from the way the world works, which is that it wants to know what you did, and you're only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/any-artist-can-t-get-away-from-the-way-the-world-works-which-is-that/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [I want to make exalted art. A successful image has pictorial lift. I am looking for whatever is up there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/i-want-to-make-exalted-art-a-successful-image-has-pictorial-lift-i-am/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [The aim of art is to create space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/the-aim-of-art-is-to-create-space/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [What you see is what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/what-you-see-is-what-you-see/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [I always get into arguments with people who want to retain the old values in painting - the humanistic values that they always find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/i-always-get-into-arguments-with-people-who-want-to-retain-the-old/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [Abstract paintings must be as real as those created by the 16th century Italians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/abstract-paintings-must-be-as-real-as-those-created-by-the-16th/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [When I'm painting the picture, I'm really painting a picture. 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And it had to be, you know, at least as good or better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/you-couldn-t-forget-pablo-picasso-henri-matisse-and-joan-miro-either/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [I never noticed competing with other generations. There's competition within your own generation, but that competition is good. Maybe you're annoyed that somebody's getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/i-never-noticed-competing-with-other-generations-there-s-competition/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [One learns about painting by looking at and imitating other painters. I can't stress enough how important it is, if you are interested at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/one-learns-about-painting-by-looking-at-and-imitating-other-painters/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [I'm more of a house painter.That's the way I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/i-m-more-of-a-house-painter-that-s-the-way-i-work/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [I don't like to say I have given my life to art. I prefer to say art has given me my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/i-don-t-like-to-say-i-have-given-my-life-to-art-i-prefer-to-say-art/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) [Explore all 36 Frank Stella quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) ## More Again and again quotes > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [As in any machine, all the wires must be connected to the mains through one main wire. 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