--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was quite young, I dreamed of…" description: "\"When I was quite young, I dreamed of being a painter.\" — James Gray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/james-gray-7197_being_when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-bein_1498110.jpg" --- # When I was quite young, I dreamed of being a painter. ![“When I was quite young, I dreamed of being a painter.” quote by James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/james-gray-7197_being_when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-bein_1498110.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/james-gray-7197_being_when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-bein_1498110.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/james-gray-7197_being_when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-bein_1498110.jpg) > “When I was quite young, I dreamed of being a painter.” [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A childhood aspiration to create art reflects a longing for self‑expression and identity. **In simple terms:** Dreaming of painting shows desire to create. Key Takeaway Pursue creative passions early. Themes creativity identity aspiration Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - career counseling - art education - personal branding Key Concepts self‑expression artistic drive Questions to Reflect On - What creative outlet could you start today? - How does early imagination shape later choices? A Different Perspective Dreams may shift; practical constraints can limit pursuit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Dreamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamed/) [Dreamed Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamed-painter-5485981/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite/) [Quite Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite-young-420452/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young Dreamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-dreamed-745598/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Worse than not realizing the dreams of your youth, would be to have been young and never dreamed at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-genet/worse-than-not-realizing-the-dreams-of-your-youth-would-be-to-have/) [Jean Genet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-genet/) > [It is true that my mental age is quite young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ok-taec-yeon/it-is-true-that-my-mental-age-is-quite-young/) [Ok Taec-yeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ok-taec-yeon/) > [I have always been more of a truth-seeking person since I was quite young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domino-kirke/i-have-always-been-more-of-a-truth-seeking-person-since-i-was-quite/) [Domino Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domino-kirke/) > [When you're quite young, your imagination's quite free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/when-you-re-quite-young-your-imagination-s-quite-free/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [“I also say "Boy" a lot. Partly because I have a lousy vocabulary and partly because I act quite young for my age sometimes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/i-also-say-boy-a-lot-partly-because-i-have-a-lousy-vocabulary-and/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [“He's grown into quite the young man since you took him in." "You say that like being a man's a good thing," Nyx said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/he-s-grown-into-quite-the-young-man-since-you-took-him-in-you-say/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [I had to believe in myself from quite a young age. And I had to grow up pretty early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-morgan/i-had-to-believe-in-myself-from-quite-a-young-age-and-i-had-to-grow/) [Eoin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-morgan/) > [I was 15 or 16 when I first saw 'Once Upon A Time In America,' so I was quite young, but I was completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaj-coster-waldau/i-was-15-or-16-when-i-first-saw-once-upon-a-time-in-america-so-i-was/) [Nikolaj Coster-Waldau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaj-coster-waldau/) > [I knew at quite a young age that I had an issue with drinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-knew-at-quite-a-young-age-that-i-had-an-issue-with-drinking/) [Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/) > [I suppose being quite young and being thrust quite dramatically into a large public arena skewered my vision of what it means to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-bloom/i-suppose-being-quite-young-and-being-thrust-quite-dramatically-into/) [Orlando Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-bloom/) > [Younger people are younger a little longer these days, so we know a lot of 32-year-olds who are still quite young, haven't quite gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-palladino/younger-people-are-younger-a-little-longer-these-days-so-we-know-a/) [Daniel Palladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-palladino/) > [Don't you think you're quite young?' 'I'm twenty-one,' said Brida. 'If I wanted to start learning ballet, I'd be conseidered too old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/don-t-you-think-you-re-quite-young-i-m-twenty-one-said-brida-if-i/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I don't think there's ever a right time to have kids. I'm actually pretty glad it's happened quite young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-stevens/i-don-t-think-there-s-ever-a-right-time-to-have-kids-i-m-actually/) [Dan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-stevens/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [I dreamed for a lover, I dreamed for a friend, and in the end I got a lover and a friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dreamed-for-a-lover-i-dreamed-for-a-friend-and-in-the-end-i-got-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by James Gray > [The key to acting - from what little I know about that wonderful craft - is listening, and interacting with the other person in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/the-key-to-acting-from-what-little-i-know-about-that-wonderful-craft/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I've learned that you can never predict what will happen to a film. You can never predict if people will love it, if they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-never-predict-what-will-happen-to-a-film/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I don't envy the job of people who have to watch five movies a day - that's insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-don-t-envy-the-job-of-people-who-have-to-watch-five-movies-a-day/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [Most people don't watch a movie four or five times; they watch it once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/most-people-don-t-watch-a-movie-four-or-five-times-they-watch-it-once/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I'm just not willing to give up on myself. If I'm going to fail, then I want to fail to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-m-just-not-willing-to-give-up-on-myself-if-i-m-going-to-fail-then-i/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I am an Ashkenazi Jew, and there are a whole host of genetic disorders that only Ashkenazi Jews have. I don't know if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-am-an-ashkenazi-jew-and-there-are-a-whole-host-of-genetic-disorders/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [All I can say is sometimes home gets burned into your occipital lobe, and it can't leave you, and there's always that longing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/all-i-can-say-is-sometimes-home-gets-burned-into-your-occipital-lobe/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [William Atherton has a very different acting style to Bonnie Bedelia; she has a very different style than Bruce Willis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/william-atherton-has-a-very-different-acting-style-to-bonnie-bedelia/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [There are very few movies in English about romantic obsession told with a seriousness of purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/there-are-very-few-movies-in-english-about-romantic-obsession-told/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I would love it if my films made a lot of money, and may I say that 'The Yards' is the only one that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-would-love-it-if-my-films-made-a-lot-of-money-and-may-i-say-that/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [My wife thinks I have an obsession with social class. So I guess I have an obsession with social class. It probably stems from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/my-wife-thinks-i-have-an-obsession-with-social-class-so-i-guess-i/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I remember as a little kid, I would always feel comfortable if the light in the crack of my parents' door was on at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-remember-as-a-little-kid-i-would-always-feel-comfortable-if-the/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [If we continue as we have for the past 20 years in California, in the year 2020, everybody in the State will either be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/if-we-continue-as-we-have-for-the-past-20-years-in-california-in-the/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [Really, what I'm doing is an attempt to continue the best work of the people I adore: Francis Coppola and Scorsese and Robert Altman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/really-what-i-m-doing-is-an-attempt-to-continue-the-best-work-of-the/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [I think to be a movie critic is troubling from one major respect. If you are forced to watch ten movies a week, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-think-to-be-a-movie-critic-is-troubling-from-one-major-respect-if/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) [Explore all 93 James Gray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) ## 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](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. 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": "When I was quite young, I dreamed of being a painter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Gray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-being-a-painter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-being-a-painter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/james-gray-7197_being_when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-bein_1498110.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/james-gray-7197_being_when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-bein_1498110.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/james-gray-7197_being_when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-bein_1498110.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I was quite young, I dreamed of being a painter.” — James Gray", "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": "James Gray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I was quite young, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-being-a-painter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/when-i-was-quite-young-i-dreamed-of-being-a-painter/#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 } } ] } ```