--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One night I dreamed that I painted a…" description: "\"One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought the materials to begin it.\" — Jasper ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/jasper-johns-8447_american-flag_one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-lar_3182153.jpg" --- # One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag… ![“One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought the materials to begin it.” quote by Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/jasper-johns-8447_american-flag_one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-lar_3182153.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/jasper-johns-8447_american-flag_one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-lar_3182153.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/jasper-johns-8447_american-flag_one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-lar_3182153.jpg) > “One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought the materials to begin it.” [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist imagined a massive flag, then acted on the vision by acquiring supplies to create it. **In simple terms:** He turned a dream into a concrete project. Key Takeaway Act on vivid ideas promptly. Themes creativity vision execution Mood inspired determined Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - personal art projects - large-scale murals - public installations Key Concepts artistic ambition manifestation Questions to Reflect On - What vision have you delayed? - How can you start small toward a big idea? A Different Perspective The scale may be impractical without resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American flag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-flag/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Flags](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flags/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) ## Related quotes > [Whether the flower or the color is the focus I do not know. I do know the flower is painted large to convey my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/whether-the-flower-or-the-color-is-the-focus-i-do-not-know-i-do-know/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [“That I wanted more. That night I dreamed of kissing her again and wondered if she was thinking the same thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/that-i-wanted-more-that-night-i-dreamed-of-kissing-her-again-and/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [Last night I dreamed of a small consolation enjoyed only by the blind: Nobody knows the trouble I've not seen!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/last-night-i-dreamed-of-a-small-consolation-enjoyed-only-by-the-blind/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“I dreamed about melons that night. I dreamed that a casaba melon grew in our front yard. Grew and grew and grew. Bigger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-stine-2/i-dreamed-about-melons-that-night-i-dreamed-that-a-casaba-melon-grew/) [R.L. Stine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-stine-2/) > [Those dreams I have at night are going to drive me crazy. Last night I dreamed that little red-haired girl and I were eating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/those-dreams-i-have-at-night-are-going-to-drive-me-crazy-last-night-i/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [Another night, I dreamed I saw my father sweeping out the barn floor clean, and would not suffer the wheat to be brought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-southcott/another-night-i-dreamed-i-saw-my-father-sweeping-out-the-barn-floor/) [Joanna Southcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-southcott/) > [“Last night I dreamed about television. I woke up crying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/last-night-i-dreamed-about-television-i-woke-up-crying/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Last night I dreamed that someone loved me; but no hope, no harm, just another false alarm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/last-night-i-dreamed-that-someone-loved-me-but-no-hope-no-harm-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Last night I dreamed I ate a ten-pound marshmallow, and when I woke up the pillow was gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-cooper/last-night-i-dreamed-i-ate-a-ten-pound-marshmallow-and-when-i-woke-up/) [Tommy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-cooper/) > [“Last night I dreamed of Peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/last-night-i-dreamed-of-peace/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In visions of the dark night I have dreamed of joy departed- But a waking dream of life and light Hath left me broken-hearted.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/in-visions-of-the-dark-night-i-have-dreamed-of-joy-departed-but-a-2/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [One night I dreamed I was locked in my Father's watch With Ptolemy and twenty-one ruby stars Mounted on spheres and the Primum Mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/one-night-i-dreamed-i-was-locked-in-my-father-s-watch-with-ptolemy/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [In visions of the dark night I have dreamed of joy departed-- But a waking dream of life and light Hath left me broken-hearted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/in-visions-of-the-dark-night-i-have-dreamed-of-joy-departed-but-a/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“By day she studied and touched her mother’s things, and by night, she dreamed about them. The dreams gave her as fragmented a vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/by-day-she-studied-and-touched-her-mother-s-things-and-by-night-she/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Last night I dreamed about you. What happened in detail I can hardly remember, all I know is that we kept merging into one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/last-night-i-dreamed-about-you-what-happened-in-detail-i-can-hardly/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## More by Jasper Johns > [Early on I was very involved with the notion of the painting as an object and tended to attack that idea from different directions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/early-on-i-was-very-involved-with-the-notion-of-the-painting-as-an/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [Make something, a kind of object, which as it changes or falls apart (dies as it were) or increases in its parts (grows as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/make-something-a-kind-of-object-which-as-it-changes-or-falls-apart/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [In my early work, I tried to hide my personality, my psychological state, my emotions. This was partly due to my feelings about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/in-my-early-work-i-tried-to-hide-my-personality-my-psychological/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [I have no ideas about what the paintings imply about the world. I don't think that's a painter's business. He just paints paintings without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/i-have-no-ideas-about-what-the-paintings-imply-about-the-world-i-don/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [I have meant what I have done. Or I have often meant what I have done. Or I have sometimes meant what I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/i-have-meant-what-i-have-done-or-i-have-often-meant-what-i-have-done/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [Art as a fantasy has been one of my earliest experiences. I suppose a lot of my childhood was a fantasy that involved getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/art-as-a-fantasy-has-been-one-of-my-earliest-experiences-i-suppose-a/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [I was raised in South Carolina; I wasn't aware of any art in South Carolina. There was a minor museum in Charleston, which had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/i-was-raised-in-south-carolina-i-wasn-t-aware-of-any-art-in-south/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [Sometime during the mid-50s I said, 'I am an artist.' Before that, for many years, I had said, 'I'm going to be an artist.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/sometime-during-the-mid-50s-i-said-i-am-an-artist-before-that-for/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [That's what painting does; it organizes vision in a certain way or suggests that certain things be paid attention to and certain other things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/that-s-what-painting-does-it-organizes-vision-in-a-certain-way-or/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [I assumed that everything would lead to complete failure, but I decided that didn't matter – that would be my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/i-assumed-that-everything-would-lead-to-complete-failure-but-i/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [I tend to like things that already exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/i-tend-to-like-things-that-already-exist/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [Bend color names which should be made of neon or copper tubing. Place an object on a surface - trace the object - then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/bend-color-names-which-should-be-made-of-neon-or-copper-tubing-place/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [My experience with life is that it's very fragmented. In one place certain kinds of thing occur, and in another place a different kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/my-experience-with-life-is-that-it-s-very-fragmented-in-one-place/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [I never wish for critics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/i-never-wish-for-critics/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) > [Art is either a complaint or appeasement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/art-is-either-a-complaint-or-appeasement/) [Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) [Explore all 80 Jasper Johns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/) ## More American flag quotes > [ It wasn't \[Barack\] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the-feeling-on-the-ground-it-was/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I wrote the script of Patton. I had this very bizarre opening where he stands up in front of an American flag and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/i-wrote-the-script-of-patton-i-had-this-very-bizarre-opening-where-he/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > [Is burning an American flag a disgusting, reprehensible act? Yes, it absolutely is, and I would tell that to the face of absolutely anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-timpf/is-burning-an-american-flag-a-disgusting-reprehensible-act-yes-it/) [Kat Timpf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-timpf/) > [“America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves. To quote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/america-is-the-wealthiest-nation-on-earth-but-its-people-are-mainly/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Colin Kaepernick is the latest professional athlete to spark a national debate about the meaning behind the American flag and the national anthem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/colin-kaepernick-is-the-latest-professional-athlete-to-spark-a/) Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf > [God bless America, land that I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-berlin/god-bless-america-land-that-i-love/) [Irving Berlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-berlin/) > [“The British government in 1807 had issued the “Orders in Council,” which enforced a naval blockade against France, and with a shortage of seamen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/the-british-government-in-1807-had-issued-the-orders-in-council-which/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Instead of candidates hiring people, like yours truly, to create campaign media that works on both conscious and subconscious levels to sway the voting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/instead-of-candidates-hiring-people-like-yours-truly-to-create/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [The American flag is an enduring symbol of liberty, democracy, and justice. It is fitting that the House act to protect it as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-american-flag-is-an-enduring-symbol-of-liberty-democracy-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The night of September the 14th, 1814, saw heavy bombardment of Baltimore by the British. Despite this, the next morning, the large American flag…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/the-night-of-september-the-14th-1814-saw-heavy-bombardment-of/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [“Superman – Moses in a costume, with his underpants on the outside. Captain America – the poster boy of the mad American patriot. Wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sinclair/superman-moses-in-a-costume-with-his-underpants-on-the-outside/) [David Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sinclair/) > [“The bold colors of the American flag stood out over her husband’s coffin. Colors of honor. Colors of freedom. Colors of sacrifice. She’d never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-cross/the-bold-colors-of-the-american-flag-stood-out-over-her-husband-s/) [Lindsay Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-cross/) > [“The 101st was trucked to Utah Beach on July 10, seeing from the land what they had seen from the air the night of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-alexander/the-101st-was-trucked-to-utah-beach-on-july-10-seeing-from-the-land/) Larry Alexander > [I love taking photos of the American flag fluttering in the wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-love-taking-photos-of-the-american-flag-fluttering-in-the-wind/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [“People reacted with hate and fear and then community by wearing American flag shirts, bandannas, crying, huddling, lost, and senseless. They packed the gymnasium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-huang/people-reacted-with-hate-and-fear-and-then-community-by-wearing/) [Eddie Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-huang/) [Browse all 158 American flag quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-flag/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought the materials to begin it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jasper Johns" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-large-american-flag-and-the-next/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American flag" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-large-american-flag-and-the-next/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/jasper-johns-8447_american-flag_one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-lar_3182153.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/jasper-johns-8447_american-flag_one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-lar_3182153.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/jasper-johns-8447_american-flag_one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-lar_3182153.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and…” — Jasper Johns", "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": "Jasper Johns", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-johns/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One night I dreamed that I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-large-american-flag-and-the-next/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-johns/one-night-i-dreamed-that-i-painted-a-large-american-flag-and-the-next/#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 } } ] } ```