--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's as if a child with a brush and too…" description: "\"It's as if a child with a brush and too much enthusiasm has been set free with a tin of black paint inside me.\" — Jenny Downham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/jenny-downham-3127_artist_it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too_56107.png" --- # It's as if a child with a brush and too much enthusiasm… ![“It's as if a child with a brush and too much enthusiasm has been set free with a tin of black paint inside me.” quote by Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/jenny-downham-3127_artist_it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too_56107.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/jenny-downham-3127_artist_it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too_56107.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/jenny-downham-3127_artist_it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too_56107.png) > “It's as if a child with a brush and too much enthusiasm has been set free with a tin of black paint inside me.” [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid metaphor describing an overwhelming, uncontrolled surge of creativity or emotion that spreads like ink, staining the inner self. **In simple terms:** Unrestrained creative impulse Key Takeaway Creative energy can be both liberating and invasive Themes creativity emotion self‑expression uncontrolled energy metaphor Mood exuberant intense reflective Type metaphorical personal inspirational When to use this quote - artist confronting inspiration - writer battling writer’s block - person experiencing sudden passion - individual feeling overwhelmed by ideas Key Concepts inner self paint as symbol childlike enthusiasm Practical Applications - use as a prompt for expressive writing - illustrate the dual nature of inspiration in workshops Questions to Reflect On - What boundaries, we set for our creative impulses? - How does unfiltered enthusiasm affect our inner landscape? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Enthusiasm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enthusiasm/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [Like a white boy wearing black paint, you're a fake ass nigga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/like-a-white-boy-wearing-black-paint-you-re-a-fake-ass-nigga/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [It was any outcast's nightmare. If I looked carefully, I suspected I might find it beneath the black paint of the small acrylic by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-werlin/it-was-any-outcast-s-nightmare-if-i-looked-carefully-i-suspected-i/) [Nancy Werlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-werlin/) > [I don't paint over my paintings with black paint. I paint black paintings. 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He told me that I should never point it at anything in the house; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-remember-when-my-daddy-gave-me-that-gun-he-told-me-that-i-should/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Standing in the corridor was a large plastic bin on wheels. He looked inside. Empty tins of dog food. That explained the spaghetti with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-higson/standing-in-the-corridor-was-a-large-plastic-bin-on-wheels-he-looked/) [Charlie Higson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-higson/) > [It wasn't that Nanny Ogg sang badly. It was just that she could hit notes which, when amplified by a tin bath half full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-wasn-t-that-nanny-ogg-sang-badly-it-was-just-that-she-could-hit/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I hate the opera. I think I must have a tin ear. No matter how hard I concentrate it still sounds like a bunch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle-onassis/i-hate-the-opera-i-think-i-must-have-a-tin-ear-no-matter-how-hard-i/) [Aristotle Onassis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle-onassis/) > [But it is my total conviction that all the trappings of good leadership are generic and widely applicable whether you are standing in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cosgrove/but-it-is-my-total-conviction-that-all-the-trappings-of-good/) [Peter Cosgrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cosgrove/) > [And one fine day the goddess of the wind kisses the foot of man, that mistreated, scorned foot, and from that kiss the soccer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/and-one-fine-day-the-goddess-of-the-wind-kisses-the-foot-of-man-that/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [There is cruelty in divorce. There is cruelty in forced or unfortunate marriage. We will continue to cry at weddings because we know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roiphe/there-is-cruelty-in-divorce-there-is-cruelty-in-forced-or-unfortunate/) [Anne Roiphe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roiphe/) ## More by Jenny Downham > [“We'll kill him on the green with a five iron.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/we-ll-kill-him-on-the-green-with-a-five-iron/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [“Sklupčam se u podnožju stubišta. To je mjesto gdje mačka sjedi kad hoće da se ljudi spotaknu preko nje. Uvijek sam htjela biti mačka.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/sklup-am-se-u-podno-ju-stubi-ta-to-je-mjesto-gdje-ma-ka-sjedi-kad-ho/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [It was strange how words meant something when they came out of your mouth. Inside your head they were safe and silent, but once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/it-was-strange-how-words-meant-something-when-they-came-out-of-your/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [“I sit up in bed and watch her fiddle about in the back of my wardrobe. I think she's got a plan. That's what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/i-sit-up-in-bed-and-watch-her-fiddle-about-in-the-back-of-my-wardrobe/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [“I wish I had a boyfriend. I wish he lived in the wardrobe on a coat hanger. 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" Fascinating as this is, we've got to go now. I have to collect the invites for my funeral." That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/hey-listen-i-say-fascinating-as-this-is-we-ve-got-to-go-now-i-have-to/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [“Zatvaram oči i zamišljam da sam drvo okupano sunčevim svjetlom, da ne želim ništa osim kiše.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/zatvaram-o-i-i-zami-ljam-da-sam-drvo-okupano-sun-evim-svjetlom-da-ne/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [It hurts and hurts to have him this close. I feel sick with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/it-hurts-and-hurts-to-have-him-this-close-i-feel-sick-with-it/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [Every breath, every heartbeat, was one less until maybe things stopped hurting this much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/every-breath-every-heartbeat-was-one-less-until-maybe-things-stopped/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [Keep breathing. Just keep doing it. It's easy. In and out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/keep-breathing-just-keep-doing-it-it-s-easy-in-and-out/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [“We said we'd be friends.' He looks confused. 'Yeah.' I don't want to be.' There's space between us, and in that space there's darkness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/we-said-we-d-be-friends-he-looks-confused-yeah-i-don-t-want-to-be/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) [Explore all 133 Jenny Downham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) ## 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 > [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": "It's as if a child with a brush and too much enthusiasm has been set free with a tin of black paint inside me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jenny Downham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too-much-enthusiasm-has-been-set/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too-much-enthusiasm-has-been-set/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/jenny-downham-3127_artist_it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too_56107.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/jenny-downham-3127_artist_it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too_56107.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/jenny-downham-3127_artist_it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too_56107.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's as if a child with a brush and too much enthusiasm has been set free with a tin of black paint inside me.” — Jenny Downham", "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": "Jenny Downham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's as if a child with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too-much-enthusiasm-has-been-set/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/it-s-as-if-a-child-with-a-brush-and-too-much-enthusiasm-has-been-set/#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 } } ] } ```