--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My parents did not discourage me but…" description: "\"My parents did not discourage me but could not understand how I could make a living by art. Their idea of an artist was a person who was condemned to s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/jacob-epstein-30772_art_my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-cou_1515383.jpg" --- # My parents did not discourage me but could not understand… ![“My parents did not discourage me but could not understand how I could make a living by art. Their idea of an artist was a person who was condemned to starvation.” quote by Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/jacob-epstein-30772_art_my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-cou_1515383.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/jacob-epstein-30772_art_my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-cou_1515383.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/jacob-epstein-30772_art_my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-cou_1515383.jpg) > “My parents did not discourage me but could not understand how I could make a living by art. Their idea of an artist was a person who was condemned to starvation.” [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He recounts parental misunderstanding of art as a viable career, fearing poverty for artists. **In simple terms:** Parents thought artists would starve. Key Takeaway Pursue passion despite doubts. Themes family career artistic struggle Mood reflective determined Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - art education - family discussions Key Concepts societal expectations economic concerns Questions to Reflect On - How can artists balance passion and livelihood? A Different Perspective Financial stability can be a real concern. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Starvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starvation/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [The artist is the person who invents the means to bridge between biological inheritance and the environments created by technological innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-artist-is-the-person-who-invents-the-means-to-bridge-between/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [An artist is a person who thinks more than there is to think, feels more than there is to feel, and sees more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-mary-teresa-craigie/an-artist-is-a-person-who-thinks-more-than-there-is-to-think-feels/) [Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-mary-teresa-craigie/) > [Others may be able to accept standards from another, but an artist is a person who decides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/others-may-be-able-to-accept-standards-from-another-but-an-artist-is/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The artist is not a person endowed with free will who seeks his own ends, but one who allows it to realize its supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-artist-is-not-a-person-endowed-with-free-will-who-seeks-his-own/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Songwriting is such an intricate part of me as an artist and as a person; I couldn't just let someone else do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/songwriting-is-such-an-intricate-part-of-me-as-an-artist-and-as-a/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [An artist is a person who lives in the triangle which remains after the angle which we may call common sense has been removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-artist-is-a-person-who-lives-in-the-triangle-which-remains-after/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The artist is the person who makes life more interesting or beautiful, more understandable or mysterious, or probably, in the best sense, more wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bellows/the-artist-is-the-person-who-makes-life-more-interesting-or-beautiful/) [George Bellows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bellows/) > [I am isolated as an artist, not as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-hodgkin/i-am-isolated-as-an-artist-not-as-a-person/) [Howard Hodgkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-hodgkin/) > [My growth as an artist and a person has been so slow and gradual, it's hard to make a story out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliana-hatfield/my-growth-as-an-artist-and-a-person-has-been-so-slow-and-gradual-it-s/) [Juliana Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliana-hatfield/) > [Art is the only serious thing in the world. And the artist is the only person who is never serious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/art-is-the-only-serious-thing-in-the-world-and-the-artist-is-the-only/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [All the time I'm changing as an artist and as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-mae/all-the-time-i-m-changing-as-an-artist-and-as-a-person/) [Vanessa Mae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-mae/) > [I've slowly become more comfortable as an artist and as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirstin-maldonado/i-ve-slowly-become-more-comfortable-as-an-artist-and-as-a-person/) [Kirstin Maldonado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirstin-maldonado/) > [... an artist is a person first. He is an individual. If there is no person, there is no artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/an-artist-is-a-person-first-he-is-an-individual-if-there-is-no-person/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [I needed to be pushed as an artist and as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-chesney/i-needed-to-be-pushed-as-an-artist-and-as-a-person/) [Kenny Chesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-chesney/) ## More by Jacob Epstein > [When I was doing Professor Albert Einstein's bust he had many a jibe at the Nazi professors, one hundred of whom had condemned his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/when-i-was-doing-professor-albert-einstein-s-bust-he-had-many-a-jibe/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [A wife, a lover, can perhaps never see what the artist sees They rarely ever do. Perhaps a really mediocre artist has more chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/a-wife-a-lover-can-perhaps-never-see-what-the-artist-sees-they-rarely/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [My earliest recollections are of the teeming East Side where I was born. This Hester Street and its surrounding streets were the most densely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/my-earliest-recollections-are-of-the-teeming-east-side-where-i-was/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [Early on I saw the plastic quality in colored people and had friends among them; and later was to work from colored models and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/early-on-i-saw-the-plastic-quality-in-colored-people-and-had-friends/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [My reading and drawing drew me away from the ordinary interests, and I lived a great deal in the world of imagination, feeding upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/my-reading-and-drawing-drew-me-away-from-the-ordinary-interests-and-i/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [Why dont they stick to murder and leave art to us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/why-dont-they-stick-to-murder-and-leave-art-to-us/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [A sculptor is supposed to be a dull dog anyway, so why should he not break out in colour sometimes, and in my case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/a-sculptor-is-supposed-to-be-a-dull-dog-anyway-so-why-should-he-not/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [The artist is the world's scapegoat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/the-artist-is-the-world-s-scapegoat/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [The artist who imagines that he puts his best into a portrait in order to produce something good, which will be a pleasure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/the-artist-who-imagines-that-he-puts-his-best-into-a-portrait-in/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [To accuse me of making sensations is the easiest way of attacking me, and in reality leaves the question of sculpture untouched.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/to-accuse-me-of-making-sensations-is-the-easiest-way-of-attacking-me/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [There are infinite modes of expression in the world of art, and to insist that only by one road can the artist attain his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/there-are-infinite-modes-of-expression-in-the-world-of-art-and-to/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [To think of abstraction as an end in itself is undoubtedly letting oneself be led into a cul-de-sac and can only lead to exhaustion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/to-think-of-abstraction-as-an-end-in-itself-is-undoubtedly-letting/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [I remember my father, who was 'somebody' in the synagogue, bringing home with him one of the poor men who waited outside to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/i-remember-my-father-who-was-somebody-in-the-synagogue-bringing-home/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [I have never found out that there was in my family an artist or anyone interested in the arts or sciences, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/i-have-never-found-out-that-there-was-in-my-family-an-artist-or/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [I cannot recall a period when I did not draw; and at school, the studies that were distasteful to me, mathematics and grammar, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/i-cannot-recall-a-period-when-i-did-not-draw-and-at-school-the/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) [Explore all 17 Jacob Epstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) ## 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. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [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/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. 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 > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [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 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": "My parents did not discourage me but could not understand how I could make a living by art. Their idea of an artist was a person who was condemned to starvation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jacob Epstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-could-not-understand-how-i-could/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-could-not-understand-how-i-could/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/jacob-epstein-30772_art_my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-cou_1515383.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/jacob-epstein-30772_art_my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-cou_1515383.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/jacob-epstein-30772_art_my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-cou_1515383.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My parents did not discourage me but could not understand how I could make a living by art. Their idea of an…” — Jacob Epstein", "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": "Jacob Epstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My parents did not discourage me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-could-not-understand-how-i-could/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/my-parents-did-not-discourage-me-but-could-not-understand-how-i-could/#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 } } ] } ```