--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God told me if I painted that mountain…" description: "\"God told me if I painted that mountain enough, I could have it.\" — Georgia O'Keeffe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/georgia-o-keeffe-2763_artist_god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-e_1471869.png" --- # God told me if I painted that mountain enough, I could… ![“God told me if I painted that mountain enough, I could have it.” quote by Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/georgia-o-keeffe-2763_artist_god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-e_1471869.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/georgia-o-keeffe-2763_artist_god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-e_1471869.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/georgia-o-keeffe-2763_artist_god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-e_1471869.png) > “God told me if I painted that mountain enough, I could have it.” [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She believed persistent artistic effort could materialize her desire. **In simple terms:** Painting the mountain could make it real. Key Takeaway Persistently pursue creative visions. Themes creativity persistence desire Mood inspirational hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - art projects - personal goals - creative blocks Key Concepts artistic manifestation visualization Questions to Reflect On - What creative goal would you chase relentlessly? - How do you balance effort and wellbeing? A Different Perspective Obsessive focus can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [I often painted fragments of things because it seemed to make my statement as well as or better than the whole could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-often-painted-fragments-of-things-because-it-seemed-to-make-my/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I find that I have painted my life - things happening in my life - without knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-find-that-i-have-painted-my-life-things-happening-in-my-life-2/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [“painted in weather-colors now. With brushes dipped in nature’s palette. Mossgreen. Earth-brown. Crumbleblack”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/painted-in-weather-colors-now-with-brushes-dipped-in-nature-s-palette/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“White-walled once. Red-roofed. But painted in weather-colors now. With brushes dipped in nature’s palette. Mossgreen. Earth-brown. Crumbleblack”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/white-walled-once-red-roofed-but-painted-in-weather-colors-now-with/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [You should never ask God to do what He has said He’s already done, and you should never ask God to do what He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-osborn/you-should-never-ask-god-to-do-what-he-has-said-he-s-already-done-and/) [T.L. Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-osborn/) > [“When God is leading us to challenge another, let not fear hold us back. Let us not argue or press our point. Let us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-hession/when-god-is-leading-us-to-challenge-another-let-not-fear-hold-us-back/) [Roy Hession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-hession/) > [“But this became the first plan of his life to fail. God told him - apparently with the help of human hands - to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/but-this-became-the-first-plan-of-his-life-to-fail-god-told-him/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [God told me, 'I gave you the music, Al. Sing the music I gave you - all the music.' So I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/god-told-me-i-gave-you-the-music-al-sing-the-music-i-gave-you-all-the/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [God told me to look after my people-all are my people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smohalla/god-told-me-to-look-after-my-people-all-are-my-people/) [Smohalla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smohalla/) > [When the sun died, I went up to heaven and saw God and all the people who had died a long time ago. God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wovoka/when-the-sun-died-i-went-up-to-heaven-and-saw-god-and-all-the-people/) [Wovoka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wovoka/) > [God, we are told, is willing to render himself inconsistent and ridiculous, to confound the curiosity of those whom, we are at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/god-we-are-told-is-willing-to-render-himself-inconsistent-and/) [Baron d'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/) > [“The blue-eyed rabbi in our village at Samotschin used to talk to me as though I were a grown person, even when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-funder/the-blue-eyed-rabbi-in-our-village-at-samotschin-used-to-talk-to-me/) [Anna Funder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-funder/) > [You know what God told the Cubs? Don't do anything until I come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-rose/you-know-what-god-told-the-cubs-don-t-do-anything-until-i-come-back/) [Pete Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-rose/) > [Sometimes it wasn't even when we were knocking on doors, it would be, the phone would ring and somebody would say, "God told me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kendrick/sometimes-it-wasn-t-even-when-we-were-knocking-on-doors-it-would-be/) [Stephen Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kendrick/) > [“he’d spent his whole life trying to make God love him—and that this didn’t matter in the slightest. All that mattered was that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mallon/he-d-spent-his-whole-life-trying-to-make-god-love-him-and-that-this/) [Thomas Mallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mallon/) ## More by Georgia O'Keeffe > [Singing has always seemed to me the most perfect means of expression. It is so spontaneous. And after singing, I think the violin. Since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/singing-has-always-seemed-to-me-the-most-perfect-means-of-expression/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [When I think of death, I only regret that I will not be able to see this beautiful country anymore unless the Indians are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/when-i-think-of-death-i-only-regret-that-i-will-not-be-able-to-see/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [Sometimes I start in a very realistic fashion, and as I go on from one painting to another of the same kind, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/sometimes-i-start-in-a-very-realistic-fashion-and-as-i-go-on-from-one/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I have a single track mind. I work on an idea for a long time. It's like getting acquainted with a person, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-have-a-single-track-mind-i-work-on-an-idea-for-a-long-time-it-s/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [You get whatever accomplishment you are willing to declare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/you-get-whatever-accomplishment-you-are-willing-to-declare/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [“I said to myself 'I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me--shapes and idea so near to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-said-to-myself-i-have-things-in-my-head-that-are-not-like-what/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I'd been taught to paint like other people, and I thought, what's the use? I couldn't do any better than they, or even as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-d-been-taught-to-paint-like-other-people-and-i-thought-what-s-the/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I believe an artist is the last person in the world who can afford to be affected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-believe-an-artist-is-the-last-person-in-the-world-who-can-afford-to/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [My first memory is of the brightness of light ... light all around. I was sitting among pillows on a quilt on the ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/my-first-memory-is-of-the-brightness-of-light-light-all-around-i-was/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [Before I put brush to canvas, I question, 'Is this mine? ...Is it influenced by some idea which I have acquired from some man?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/before-i-put-brush-to-canvas-i-question-is-this-mine-is-it-influenced/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I decided to start anew-to strip away what I had been taught, to accept as true my own thinking. This was one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-decided-to-start-anew-to-strip-away-what-i-had-been-taught-to/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [“I decided I was a very stupid fool not to at least paint as I wanted to ... I found that I could say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-decided-i-was-a-very-stupid-fool-not-to-at-least-paint-as-i-wanted/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/my-painting-is-what-i-have-to-give-back-to-the-world-for-what-the/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [He wanted head and hands and arms on a pillow - in many different positions. I was asked to move my hands in many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/he-wanted-head-and-hands-and-arms-on-a-pillow-in-many-different/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I feel there is something unexplored about woman that only a woman can explore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-feel-there-is-something-unexplored-about-woman-that-only-a-woman/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) [Explore all 151 Georgia O'Keeffe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. 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 > [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. 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 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/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. 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": "God told me if I painted that mountain enough, I could have it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Georgia O'Keeffe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-enough-i-could-have-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-enough-i-could-have-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/georgia-o-keeffe-2763_artist_god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-e_1471869.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/georgia-o-keeffe-2763_artist_god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-e_1471869.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d8/georgia-o-keeffe-2763_artist_god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-e_1471869.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“God told me if I painted that mountain enough, I could have it.” — Georgia O'Keeffe", "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": "Georgia O'Keeffe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "God told me if I painted...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-enough-i-could-have-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/god-told-me-if-i-painted-that-mountain-enough-i-could-have-it/#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 } } ] } ```