---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think any particular painters…"
description: "\"I don't think any particular painters have inspired me, except in a general sense. It was more a matter of corroboration. The visual arts, from Manet o..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/j-g-ballard-2711_about_i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-ha_1090997.jpg"
---

#  I don't think any particular painters have inspired me…

![“I don't think any particular painters have inspired me, except in a general sense. It was more a matter of corroboration. The visual arts, from Manet onwards, seemed far more open to change and experiment than the novel, though that's only partly the fault of the writers. There's something about…” quote by J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/j-g-ballard-2711_about_i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-ha_1090997.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/j-g-ballard-2711_about_i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-ha_1090997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/j-g-ballard-2711_about_i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-ha_1090997.jpg)

> “I don't think any particular painters have inspired me, except in a general sense. It was more a matter of corroboration. The visual arts, from Manet onwards, seemed far more open to change and experiment than the novel, though that's only partly the fault of the writers. There's something about the novel that resists innovation.”

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Notes that visual arts have been more open to experimentation than novels, which tend to resist innovation.

**In simple terms:** Visual arts innovate more readily than literature.

Key Takeaway

Consider exploring cross‑disciplinary inspiration.

Themes

art innovation literature creativity disciplinary boundaries

Mood

contemplative critical

Type

analytical inspirational

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- art exhibitions
- creative collaborations

Key Concepts

novelistic resistance artistic openness creative influence

Questions to Reflect On

- Can literature become more experimental?
- How can writers learn from visual art?

A Different Perspective

May overgeneralize the rigidity of novels.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arts/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Experiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiment/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter/) [Painters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painters/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Visual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visual/) [Visual art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visual-art/) [Visual arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visual-arts/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/)

## Related quotes

> [It was only after five years in the army, when I was having to do a very boring job in a very boring place,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-beevor/it-was-only-after-five-years-in-the-army-when-i-was-having-to-do-a/)

[Antony Beevor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-beevor/)

> [It took a pretty drastic moment to shift my thinking towards visual arts. I got to a moment in my writing career when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truong-tran/it-took-a-pretty-drastic-moment-to-shift-my-thinking-towards-visual/)

Truong Tran

> [I don't paint. I am a hobbyist photographer, so I relate to the visual arts that way, but I'm not a painter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-parisse/i-don-t-paint-i-am-a-hobbyist-photographer-so-i-relate-to-the-visual/)

[Annie Parisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-parisse/)

> [The more film festivals, theatrical shows, and music performances and visual arts we have, the less chances there are for war. Art is hope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haris-pasovic/the-more-film-festivals-theatrical-shows-and-music-performances-and/)

[Haris Pasovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haris-pasovic/)

> [Nature's purpose in relation to the visual arts is to provide stimulus not imitation. From its ceaseless urge to create springs all Life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-hofmann/nature-s-purpose-in-relation-to-the-visual-arts-is-to-provide/)

[Hans Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-hofmann/)

> [What we cannot express by the art of thinking, by the art of science or philosophy or logic, we can and should express by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naum-gabo/what-we-cannot-express-by-the-art-of-thinking-by-the-art-of-science/)

[Naum Gabo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naum-gabo/)

> [It's the same with visual arts, you have some really cool, wonderful striking images that make you think and then again you have wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ville-valo/it-s-the-same-with-visual-arts-you-have-some-really-cool-wonderful/)

[Ville Valo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ville-valo/)

> [Drawing and visual arts was kinda my first passion going all the way back to when I was a kid. I always felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/drawing-and-visual-arts-was-kinda-my-first-passion-going-all-the-way/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [“THE ARTS The arts are about the qualities of human experiences. Through music, dance, visual arts, drama, and the rest, we give form to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/the-arts-the-arts-are-about-the-qualities-of-human-experiences/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [I am a hobbyist photographer so I relate to the visual arts that way, but Im not a painter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-parisse/i-am-a-hobbyist-photographer-so-i-relate-to-the-visual-arts-that-way/)

[Annie Parisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-parisse/)

> [I took myself out of the business to study film at NYU and the School of Visual Arts. I grew up on movie sets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-ratray/i-took-myself-out-of-the-business-to-study-film-at-nyu-and-the-school/)

[Devin Ratray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-ratray/)

> [I'm very interested in the materiality of language. I wonder if, perhaps, this comes from my background in the visual arts. I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-journey/i-m-very-interested-in-the-materiality-of-language-i-wonder-if/)

[Anna Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-journey/)

> [I went to an arts school as a kid. We had to take dance every other day, along with drama, music and visual arts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-epstein/i-went-to-an-arts-school-as-a-kid-we-had-to-take-dance-every-other/)

[Jake Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-epstein/)

> [I have been interested in visual arts since high school and, after realising that I had absolutely no interest in the economics degree I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-piccinini/i-have-been-interested-in-visual-arts-since-high-school-and-after/)

[Patricia Piccinini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-piccinini/)

> [I was hoping to attend the School of Visual Arts and had a portfolio built up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-dillon/i-was-hoping-to-attend-the-school-of-visual-arts-and-had-a-portfolio/)

[Kevin Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-dillon/)

## More by J. G. Ballard

> [Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/science-and-technology-multiply-around-us-to-an-increasing-extent/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [There are some people, who place enormous value on their home and feel that it defines them, that a stain on the carpet is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/there-are-some-people-who-place-enormous-value-on-their-home-and-feel/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [A reality that is electronic... Once everybody's got a computer terminal in their home, to satisfy all their needs, all the domestic needs, there'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/a-reality-that-is-electronic-once-everybody-s-got-a-computer-terminal/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [If you're against globalisation, it doesn't achieve much by sort of bombing the head offices of Shell or Nestle. You unsettle people much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/if-you-re-against-globalisation-it-doesn-t-achieve-much-by-sort-of/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [The suburbs dream of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/the-suburbs-dream-of-violence/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [I made a very slatternly mother, notably unkeen on housework, unaware that homes need to be cleaned now and then, and too often to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-made-a-very-slatternly-mother-notably-unkeen-on-housework-unaware/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [I was in Shanghai when the Japanese invaded China. I was there in Shanghai when, the morning after Pearl Harbor, they seized Shanghai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-was-in-shanghai-when-the-japanese-invaded-china-i-was-there-in/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [Electronic aids, particularly domestic computers, will helpthe inner migration, the opting out of reality. Reality is no longer going to be the stuff out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/electronic-aids-particularly-domestic-computers-will-helpthe-inner/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [Perhaps the future belongs to magic, and it's we women who control magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/perhaps-the-future-belongs-to-magic-and-it-s-we-women-who-control/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [Any fool can write a novel but it takes real genius to sell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/any-fool-can-write-a-novel-but-it-takes-real-genius-to-sell-it/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [I work for three or four hours a day, in the late morning and early afternoon. Then I go out for a walk and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-work-for-three-or-four-hours-a-day-in-the-late-morning-and-early/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [Even one's own home is a kind of anthology of advertisers, manufacturers, motifs and presentation techniques. There's nothing 'natural' about one's home these days.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/even-one-s-own-home-is-a-kind-of-anthology-of-advertisers/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [I was born in the city's general hospital on November 15, 1930, and we lived at 31 Amherst Avenue in the western suburbs. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-was-born-in-the-city-s-general-hospital-on-november-15-1930-and-we/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [I suspect that many of the great cultural shifts that prepare the way for political change are largely aesthetic. A Buick radiator grille is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-suspect-that-many-of-the-great-cultural-shifts-that-prepare-the-way/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [Orwell's '1984' convinced me, rightly or wrongly, that Marxism was only a quantum leap away from tyranny. By contrast, Huxley's 'Brave New World' suggested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/orwell-s-1984-convinced-me-rightly-or-wrongly-that-marxism-was-only-a/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

[Explore all 151 J. G. Ballard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't think any particular painters have inspired me, except in a general sense. It was more a matter of corroboration. The visual arts, from Manet onwards, seemed far more open to change and experiment than the novel, though that's only partly the fault of the writers. There's something about the novel that resists innovation.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "J. G. Ballard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-have-inspired-me-except-in-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-have-inspired-me-except-in-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/j-g-ballard-2711_about_i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-ha_1090997.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/j-g-ballard-2711_about_i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-ha_1090997.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f2/j-g-ballard-2711_about_i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-ha_1090997.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't think any particular painters have inspired me, except in a general sense. It was more a matter of…” — J. G. Ballard",
                "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": "J. G. Ballard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't think any particular painters...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-have-inspired-me-except-in-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-don-t-think-any-particular-painters-have-inspired-me-except-in-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
