--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you want to create something that's…" description: "\"If you want to create something that's worth doing you have to self-edit from the get-go. You really must be careful and selective with whom you work, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/john-dyer-baizley-26675_art_if-you-want-to-create-something-that-s-w_2927886.jpg" --- # If you want to create something that's worth doing you… ![“If you want to create something that's worth doing you have to self-edit from the get-go. You really must be careful and selective with whom you work, you must constantly ask yourself the hard questions about your art, and you must set a nearly unattainable standard for yourself.” quote by John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/john-dyer-baizley-26675_art_if-you-want-to-create-something-that-s-w_2927886.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/john-dyer-baizley-26675_art_if-you-want-to-create-something-that-s-w_2927886.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/john-dyer-baizley-26675_art_if-you-want-to-create-something-that-s-w_2927886.jpg) > “If you want to create something that's worth doing you have to self-edit from the get-go. You really must be careful and selective with whom you work, you must constantly ask yourself the hard questions about your art, and you must set a nearly unattainable standard for yourself.” [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating valuable work demands early self‑editing, selective collaboration, relentless self‑questioning, and setting extremely high personal standards. **In simple terms:** Self‑edit early, choose partners wisely, ask hard questions, aim high. Key Takeaway Begin with rigorous self‑review and high standards. Themes creativity standards collaboration self‑reflection Mood determined critical inspired Type advice motivational philosophical When to use this quote - artistic projects - startup teams - writing drafts - design processes - music production Key Concepts self‑editing quality control personal excellence Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance perfectionism with progress? - Who should you trust to give honest feedback? A Different Perspective High standards can cause paralysis or burnout if not balanced with realistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Ask yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-yourself/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Be careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-careful/) [Careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careful/) [Create Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-worth-3030044/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Doing Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-self-560621/) [Doing you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-you/) [Edits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edits/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-questions/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Questions Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-art-791048/) [Selective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selective/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Edit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-edit-1486475/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Unattainable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unattainable/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and I get excited talking about making record artwork or working with T-shirt designs. The least exciting part for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/pearl-jam-bassist-jeff-ament-and-i-get-excited-talking-about-making/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [I do think that it is one of the eternal questions about art, though - is all art intrinsically selfish?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-campbell/i-do-think-that-it-is-one-of-the-eternal-questions-about-art-though/) [Liza Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-campbell/) > [Some artists respond to critics' questions about their art. I think Bob Dylan would alwys refuse to respond to questions of that sort, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-f-thomas/some-artists-respond-to-critics-questions-about-their-art-i-think-bob/) [Richard F. 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Art saved my life, and I'm sure that it could save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniela-vega/as-an-artist-what-i-m-looking-for-isn-t-the-answers-but-the-questions/) [Daniela Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniela-vega/) > [“A writer is lost when he grows interested in such questions as 'what is art?' and 'what is an artist's duty?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/a-writer-is-lost-when-he-grows-interested-in-such-questions-as-what/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Science answers questions, art questions answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-kavanaugh/science-answers-questions-art-questions-answers/) [Harrison Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-kavanaugh/) > [Never by reflection, but only by doing is self- knowledge possible to one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/never-by-reflection-but-only-by-doing-is-self-knowledge-possible-to/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it; men come to be builders, for instance, by building, and harp players by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/whatever-we-learn-to-do-we-learn-by-actually-doing-it-men-come-to-be/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I think we are able to keep active provided we approach our lives with creativity. I think the mere fact that we keep doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tandy/i-think-we-are-able-to-keep-active-provided-we-approach-our-lives/) [Jessica Tandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tandy/) > [“Doing something for your self is selfish and unproductive. Doing something to improve yourself is selfless, and extends your existence into the lives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lombardi/doing-something-for-your-self-is-selfish-and-unproductive-doing/) [Michael Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lombardi/) > [“All we are doing are self-portraits. As simple that. We accumulate knowledge and wisdom and power, and we get our hearts broken, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristian-mihai/all-we-are-doing-are-self-portraits-as-simple-that-we-accumulate/) [Cristian Mihai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristian-mihai/) > [What are you doing to magnify and grow your business? What are you doing for yourself? You have to self-motivate. I had to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-civil/what-are-you-doing-to-magnify-and-grow-your-business-what-are-you/) [Karen Civil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-civil/) > [When I'm not training, I'm typically doing anything self-care, so, like, bath bombs and face masks, or, like, having a movie night with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-hernandez/when-i-m-not-training-i-m-typically-doing-anything-self-care-so-like/) [Laurie Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-hernandez/) > [That's your doing. Now in order to affect that doing I am going to recommend that you learn another doing... It may hook you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/that-s-your-doing-now-in-order-to-affect-that-doing-i-am-going-to/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) ## More by John Dyer Baizley > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [I really try towork with an artist who is trying to create a long legacy of quality rather than trying to jump aboard a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/i-really-try-towork-with-an-artist-who-is-trying-to-create-a-long/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Punk rock and metal has always been a home to me, it's where I cut my teeth; and those are the friends that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/punk-rock-and-metal-has-always-been-a-home-to-me-it-s-where-i-cut-my/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [I tend to over extend myself without really thinking throughthe realities of completing so many projects in a year, which generally means I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/i-tend-to-over-extend-myself-without-really-thinking-throughthe/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [If what you want to do is make artwork for bands, you have to love doing it because there is almost no money in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/if-what-you-want-to-do-is-make-artwork-for-bands-you-have-to-love/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [It's important for me to have different tiers of value for the art. Some of the silk-screens are really affordable, but I do have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-important-for-me-to-have-different-tiers-of-value-for-the-art/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [I feel like I've gotten to the point where when I get tired of making art I can make a smooth transition into making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/i-feel-like-i-ve-gotten-to-the-point-where-when-i-get-tired-of-making/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [I recognize that no matter how old I get, how many records I've done, or what the public perception of me is, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/i-recognize-that-no-matter-how-old-i-get-how-many-records-i-ve-done/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Give your stuff away and if it's good, people will come to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/give-your-stuff-away-and-if-it-s-good-people-will-come-to-you/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [In fact, many musicians are the happiest when the artist and audience re-interpret or re-imagine the content of the songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/in-fact-many-musicians-are-the-happiest-when-the-artist-and-audience/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [The important thing isn't that your technically great, I think it's the power of your expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/the-important-thing-isn-t-that-your-technically-great-i-think-it-s/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Not everybody is going to love what you do, but you have to be yourself, that's what's most important. Bring it as hard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/not-everybody-is-going-to-love-what-you-do-but-you-have-to-be/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [If I'm in the business of making artwork that is designed on some level to sell a product, then I have to be very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/if-i-m-in-the-business-of-making-artwork-that-is-designed-on-some/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [When I was really young, I gravitated towards the visual arts first. I feel that's what comes most naturally to me. I've always had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/when-i-was-really-young-i-gravitated-towards-the-visual-arts-first-i/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [I take myself seriously and want my image to me more than just something aesthetically suited towards selling records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/i-take-myself-seriously-and-want-my-image-to-me-more-than-just/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) [Explore all 21 John Dyer Baizley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) ## 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. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [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/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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 only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [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/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you want to create something that's worth doing you have to self-edit from the get-go. 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