--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you see me sitting at a dining room…" description: "\"“If you see me sitting at a dining room table with a clean plate and bowl in front of me, you’ll know it’s because I’m a starving artist. I’m also thir..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/jarod-kintz-2_art_if-you-see-me-sitting-at-a-dining-room-t_1101906.jpg" --- # If you see me sitting at a dining room table with a clean… ![“If you see me sitting at a dining room table with a clean plate and bowl in front of me, you’ll know it’s because I’m a starving artist. I’m also thirsty, as my cup is also empty.” quote by Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/jarod-kintz-2_art_if-you-see-me-sitting-at-a-dining-room-t_1101906.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/jarod-kintz-2_art_if-you-see-me-sitting-at-a-dining-room-t_1101906.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/jarod-kintz-2_art_if-you-see-me-sitting-at-a-dining-room-t_1101906.jpg) > ““If you see me sitting at a dining room table with a clean plate and bowl in front of me, you’ll know it’s because I’m a starving artist. I’m also thirsty, as my cup is also empty.”” [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empty plates and cups symbolize artistic hunger and thirst, reflecting creative struggle. **In simple terms:** Empty dishes show artistic need. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and address creative emptiness. Themes art hunger emptiness creativity need Mood reflective poetic Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - artist block - creative burnout - resource scarcity - self-care Key Concepts metaphor psychology artistic struggle Questions to Reflect On - How do you replenish creative energy? - What does “starving artist” mean to you? A Different Perspective Creative emptiness may hinder productivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Starving artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starving-artist/) ## Related quotes > [When I first moved to New York, you know, I was a starving artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana-debose/when-i-first-moved-to-new-york-you-know-i-was-a-starving-artist/) [Ariana DeBose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana-debose/) > [ “If \[the loss of fertility of the soil and the loss of soil as a renewable resource\] does happen, we are familiar enough with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/if-the-loss-of-fertility-of-the-soil-and-the-loss-of-soil-as-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I was planning on being a starving artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hillenburg/i-was-planning-on-being-a-starving-artist/) [Stephen Hillenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hillenburg/) > [I remembered my New Orleans days, living on two five-cent candy bars a day for weeks at a time in order to have leisure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-remembered-my-new-orleans-days-living-on-two-five-cent-candy-bars-a/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [When you're a starving artist, you make do. It didn't matter that I didn't know where my rent was coming from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-saracho/when-you-re-a-starving-artist-you-make-do-it-didn-t-matter-that-i/) [Tanya Saracho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-saracho/) > [It's really hard to find materials. Also, prices of metal have gone completely through the roof, insanely expensive. And if you go to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/z-ev/it-s-really-hard-to-find-materials-also-prices-of-metal-have-gone/) [Z'EV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/z-ev/) > [A starving artist has only so many brush stokes before he fades away...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/a-starving-artist-has-only-so-many-brush-stokes-before-he-fades-away/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [Somehow, the French got this idea of the starving artist. Very romantic, except it's not so romantic for the starving artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/somehow-the-french-got-this-idea-of-the-starving-artist-very-romantic/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [Starving artist' is acceptable at age 20, suspect at age 40, and problematical at age 60.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/starving-artist-is-acceptable-at-age-20-suspect-at-age-40-and/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [I didn't really go the starving-artist route. I kind of went and did massive, commercial things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/i-didn-t-really-go-the-starving-artist-route-i-kind-of-went-and-did/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [In college I took an acting class as a joke. It sounded like something fun and easy at the time. I had originally wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graziadei/in-college-i-took-an-acting-class-as-a-joke-it-sounded-like-something/) [Michael Graziadei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graziadei/) > [In my early days, I was about 145 pounds. I was really a starving artist; the poster child for starving artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/creed-bratton/in-my-early-days-i-was-about-145-pounds-i-was-really-a-starving/) [Creed Bratton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/creed-bratton/) > [I'm an entrepreneur, a businessman. I've got a lot of money, and that doesn't go very well with the whole 'starving artist in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-m-an-entrepreneur-a-businessman-i-ve-got-a-lot-of-money-and-that/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [I was a starving artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-jayne/i-was-a-starving-artist/) [Erika Jayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-jayne/) > [At the end of day, people are starving and, if people are starving and thirsty and they need to keep their families alive, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/at-the-end-of-day-people-are-starving-and-if-people-are-starving-and/) [Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/) ## More by Jarod Kintz > [“I notice when you’re gone. Or do I? How can I observe something that isn’t there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-notice-when-you-re-gone-or-do-i-how-can-i-observe-something-that/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I wouldn’t love you if you were the last Sodomite in Gomorrah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wouldn-t-love-you-if-you-were-the-last-sodomite-in-gomorrah/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“A blanket could be used to make sweet, sweet music with the love of your life. Hopefully that person is me, because I’ve been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-to-make-sweet-sweet-music-with-the-love-of/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“A brick could be used to slow down time. Sort of like a camel in a wheelchair pushed by a thirsty Arab. Hey, Khalid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-brick-could-be-used-to-slow-down-time-sort-of-like-a-camel-in-a/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“We have a love so pure that it makes snow seem yellow. (Don’t eat it!)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/we-have-a-love-so-pure-that-it-makes-snow-seem-yellow-don-t-eat-it/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I hid Mrs. Frozenwater’s body in the ice cube trays in my freezer. Better to keep her there than let her memory thaw out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-hid-mrs-frozenwater-s-body-in-the-ice-cube-trays-in-my-freezer/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Two similar words might lead to two similar ideas. They might also lead to the basement, which I recently converted into a dungeon/torture chamber.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/two-similar-words-might-lead-to-two-similar-ideas-they-might-also/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Nothing is and isn’t; nothing is and isn’t—nothing itself is, and at the same time, nothing isn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/nothing-is-and-isn-t-nothing-is-and-isn-t-nothing-itself-is-and-at/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Embossed letters represent the topography of typography.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/embossed-letters-represent-the-topography-of-typography/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“There’s only one piece of clothing I could eat fast, and that’s a scarf.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/there-s-only-one-piece-of-clothing-i-could-eat-fast-and-that-s-a-scarf/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Dora J. Arod is to Jarod Ora, as yes is to yes. Yes is also the correct answer to “Will you marry me?” Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/dora-j-arod-is-to-jarod-ora-as-yes-is-to-yes-yes-is-also-the-correct/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“The best part about being kidnapped is being blindfolded and getting kicked into the trunk of a car. Boy, normally I have to beg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-best-part-about-being-kidnapped-is-being-blindfolded-and-getting/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Orafoura once told me that if I were a car, I’d be a Ferrari. One that was scratched smashed, rusted, and stolen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/orafoura-once-told-me-that-if-i-were-a-car-i-d-be-a-ferrari-one-that/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“What makes a good leader? I ask myself this every day, and then as I begin to list off characteristics I realize I’m describing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-a-good-leader-i-ask-myself-this-every-day-and-then-as-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I’d like to file a missing person’s report—on my clone. It’s nearly 2012. He should have been here by now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-d-like-to-file-a-missing-person-s-report-on-my-clone-it-s-nearly/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) [Explore all 6,921 Jarod Kintz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## 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. 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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. 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