--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you don't know how to look, you'll end…" description: "\"If you don't know how to look, you'll end up putting down the wrong things, which only dilutes or cancels the power of your artwork.\" — George L. Carlson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/george-l-carlson-63944_artist_if-you-don-t-know-how-to-look-you-ll-end_2449747.jpg" --- # If you don't know how to look, you'll end up putting down… ![“If you don't know how to look, you'll end up putting down the wrong things, which only dilutes or cancels the power of your artwork.” quote by George L. Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/george-l-carlson-63944_artist_if-you-don-t-know-how-to-look-you-ll-end_2449747.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/george-l-carlson-63944_artist_if-you-don-t-know-how-to-look-you-ll-end_2449747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/george-l-carlson-63944_artist_if-you-don-t-know-how-to-look-you-ll-end_2449747.jpg) > “If you don't know how to look, you'll end up putting down the wrong things, which only dilutes or cancels the power of your artwork.” [George L. Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-l-carlson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Not recognizing the right focus leads to wasted effort and weakens creative impact. **In simple terms:** Wrong focus weakens art. Key Takeaway Learn to identify what truly matters. Themes focus creativity discipline Mood reflective concerned Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - painting - design - photography - writing - product development Key Concepts perception artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - What criteria do you use to decide what to prioritize? - How can you test if your focus aligns with your goals? A Different Perspective If you misidentify priorities, you may still produce work but its value diminishes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artwork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artwork/) [Dilutes Cancels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilutes-cancels-560061/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Know Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-look/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Putting Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putting-wrong-560060/) [Things Dilutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-dilutes-560062/) [Wrong things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-things/) ## Related quotes > [What joy would I get from putting the wrong person behind bars?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-grace/what-joy-would-i-get-from-putting-the-wrong-person-behind-bars/) [Nancy Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-grace/) > [My friends don't do things they don't want to do to try to impress someone. And if you are, you're already putting the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorit-kemsley/my-friends-don-t-do-things-they-don-t-want-to-do-to-try-to-impress/) [Dorit Kemsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorit-kemsley/) > [“Wonder is all around us, when we know how to look. It's often in the simple spaces; a meadow, a stream, an unturned rock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atalina-wright/wonder-is-all-around-us-when-we-know-how-to-look-it-s-often-in-the/) [Atalina Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atalina-wright/) > [“Unless things altogether changed, eyes that know what to look for may discover the signs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/unless-things-altogether-changed-eyes-that-know-what-to-look-for-may/) [J.R.R. 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I look at myself in the various disguises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/it-often-happens-that-i-don-t-know-myself-which-is-typical-in-those/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [For me, the best way to know me is to look at my clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rei-kawakubo/for-me-the-best-way-to-know-me-is-to-look-at-my-clothing/) [Rei Kawakubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rei-kawakubo/) > [He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-rizal/he-who-does-not-know-how-to-look-back-at-where-he-came-from-will/) [Jose Rizal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-rizal/) > [“Once you know something can be found you look that much harder for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaughn-heppner/once-you-know-something-can-be-found-you-look-that-much-harder-for-it/) [Vaughn Heppner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaughn-heppner/) ## More by George L. 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Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-l-carlson/) > [Great art is always a balancing act. But all art has both - an emotional content and an intellectual content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-l-carlson/great-art-is-always-a-balancing-act-but-all-art-has-both-an-emotional/) [George L. Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-l-carlson/) [Explore all 5 George L. 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Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“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/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. 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This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you don't know how to look, you'll end up putting down the wrong things, which only dilutes or cancels the power of your artwork.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George L. 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