--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This image of wanting to be an artist…" description: "\"This image of wanting to be an artist - that I would in some way become an artist -was very strong. I knew for a long, long time that that's what I wou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/jasper-johns-8447_any_this-image-of-wanting-to-be-an-artist-th_2236165.jpg" --- # This image of wanting to be an artist - that I would in… ![“This image of wanting to be an artist - that I would in some way become an artist -was very strong. I knew for a long, long time that that's what I would be. But nothing I ever did seemed to bring me any nearer to the condition of being an artist. And I didn't know how to do it.” quote by Jasper Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/jasper-johns-8447_any_this-image-of-wanting-to-be-an-artist-th_2236165.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/jasper-johns-8447_any_this-image-of-wanting-to-be-an-artist-th_2236165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/jasper-johns-8447_any_this-image-of-wanting-to-be-an-artist-th_2236165.jpg) > “This image of wanting to be an artist - that I would in some way become an artist -was very strong. I knew for a long, long time that that's what I would be. But nothing I ever did seemed to bring me any nearer to the condition of being an artist. And I didn't know how to do 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 speaker feels a persistent, unfulfilled desire to become an artist, yet lacks a clear path or progress toward that identity. **In simple terms:** Desire to be an artist without a clear route. Key Takeaway Seek concrete steps toward artistic practice. Themes identity creativity frustration Mood reflective determined Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - art school enrollment - daily sketch practice - finding a mentor - setting measurable goals Key Concepts self‑actualization career development Questions to Reflect On - What concrete actions can bridge desire and skill? - How does environment shape artistic identity? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize struggle without addressing systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [And do you agree with me, that the first condition of an artist should be to bear respect toward what is great, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-mendelssohn/and-do-you-agree-with-me-that-the-first-condition-of-an-artist-should/) [Felix Mendelssohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-mendelssohn/) > [All of us have failed to match our dream of perfection. I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/all-of-us-have-failed-to-match-our-dream-of-perfection-i-rate-us-on/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I am an artist with very strong social and political concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/i-am-an-artist-with-very-strong-social-and-political-concerns/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [If the artist's will is not strong he will see all kinds of unessential things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/if-the-artist-s-will-is-not-strong-he-will-see-all-kinds-of/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) > [My mother is an artist, and I have a strong visual sense. I almost always choose the cover art for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/my-mother-is-an-artist-and-i-have-a-strong-visual-sense-i-almost/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [My mother was always encouraging about my wanting to be an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ware/my-mother-was-always-encouraging-about-my-wanting-to-be-an-artist/) [Chris Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ware/) > [Once I knew that I wanted to be an artist, I had made myself into one. I did not understand that wanting doesn't always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-chicago/once-i-knew-that-i-wanted-to-be-an-artist-i-had-made-myself-into-one/) [Judy Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-chicago/) > [Me wanting to be an artist never really faded away. I knew that no matter what else I tried to pursue, my passion was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/me-wanting-to-be-an-artist-never-really-faded-away-i-knew-that-no/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [There questions of wanting to be an artist, and what does that mean, what makes you an artist? Are you an artist if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/there-questions-of-wanting-to-be-an-artist-and-what-does-that-mean/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Besides me wanting to be an artist, I wanted to be a movie star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/besides-me-wanting-to-be-an-artist-i-wanted-to-be-a-movie-star/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [Mr. Searle became a satirist, he once said, because ‘in the late '30s, things in general and politics in particular were no longer neatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-searle/mr-searle-became-a-satirist-he-once-said-because-in-the-late-30s/) Ronald Searle > [A young person wanting to become an artist might simply go purposefully and dedicatedly to his or her room with a few books and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/a-young-person-wanting-to-become-an-artist-might-simply-go/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [I can't imagine anybody who ends up being an artist who didn't pass through a time of geekiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-can-t-imagine-anybody-who-ends-up-being-an-artist-who-didn-t-pass/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [It seemed like a very small possibility for me to become an artist. I didn't have the need to be on the stage; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurora/it-seemed-like-a-very-small-possibility-for-me-to-become-an-artist-i/) [Aurora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aurora/) > [There's not a hip-hop artist that didn't snatch of piece of Bob Marley. It's totally impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyclef-jean/there-s-not-a-hip-hop-artist-that-didn-t-snatch-of-piece-of-bob/) [Wyclef Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyclef-jean/) ## 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. 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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 Any quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. 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