--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art is not so much talent as character……" description: "\"Art is not so much talent as character… it's what you are, the qualities of the person.\" — John Olsen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/john-olsen-49914_art_art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-i_322721.jpg" --- # Art is not so much talent as character… it's what you are… ![“Art is not so much talent as character… it's what you are, the qualities of the person.” quote by John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/john-olsen-49914_art_art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-i_322721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/john-olsen-49914_art_art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-i_322721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/john-olsen-49914_art_art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-i_322721.jpg) > “Art is not so much talent as character… it's what you are, the qualities of the person.” [John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art reflects personal character more than innate skill; it reveals the artist’s inner qualities. **In simple terms:** Art shows character. Key Takeaway Cultivate character to enhance artistic expression. Themes creativity identity character Mood introspective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - art education - personal branding - therapy - team building - public speaking Key Concepts aesthetics self‑expression psychology Questions to Reflect On - What character traits do you see in your work? - How can character be developed through art? A Different Perspective Talent alone may not convey depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) ## Related quotes > [Genius is talent in which character makes itself heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/genius-is-talent-in-which-character-makes-itself-heard/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [ No talent, but yet a character. \[Ger., Kein talent, doch ein Charakter.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/no-talent-but-yet-a-character-ger-kein-talent-doch-ein-charakter/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Profound sincerity is the only basis of talent as of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/profound-sincerity-is-the-only-basis-of-talent-as-of-character/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [All success is quite temporary if you don't work hard enough to maintain where you are. Talent can get you somewhere but character keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehcad-brooks/all-success-is-quite-temporary-if-you-don-t-work-hard-enough-to/) [Mehcad Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehcad-brooks/) > [“Our connection to art has less to do with talent and more to do with the emotion it stirs inside us. And perhaps our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-deese/our-connection-to-art-has-less-to-do-with-talent-and-more-to-do-with/) [Nicole Deese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-deese/) > [Art or talent, for an artist, is merely a means of applying his personal faculties to the ideas and the things of the period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-courbet/art-or-talent-for-an-artist-is-merely-a-means-of-applying-his/) [Gustave Courbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-courbet/) > [There is nothing new in art except talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-is-nothing-new-in-art-except-talent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“I succeeded as a cartoonist with negligible art talent, some basic writing skills, an ordinary sense of humor and a bit of experience in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/i-succeeded-as-a-cartoonist-with-negligible-art-talent-some-basic/) [Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/) > [There is nothing so terrible as the pursuit of art by those who have no talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-is-nothing-so-terrible-as-the-pursuit-of-art-by-those-who-have/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Everybody has some talents - we all have an art side and some talent - but you have some areas where you are better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-martinez/everybody-has-some-talents-we-all-have-an-art-side-and-some-talent/) [Olivier Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-martinez/) > [I was a very sickly kid. While I was in the hospital at age seven, my Dad brought me a stack of comic books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-wein/i-was-a-very-sickly-kid-while-i-was-in-the-hospital-at-age-seven-my/) [Len Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-wein/) > [By a great man, however, we mean a man who, because of his spiritual gifts, his character, and other qualities, deserves to be called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-bajer/by-a-great-man-however-we-mean-a-man-who-because-of-his-spiritual/) [Fredrik Bajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-bajer/) > [Character is far more important than intellect in making a man a good citizen or successful at his calling- meaning by character not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/character-is-far-more-important-than-intellect-in-making-a-man-a-good/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [If you respect the art and you have some talent about you, I'm on your team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/if-you-respect-the-art-and-you-have-some-talent-about-you-i-m-on-your/) [Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/) > [Strength of body, strength of mind, strength of character, qualities to be admired in any person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berry/strength-of-body-strength-of-mind-strength-of-character-qualities-to/) [Mike Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berry/) ## More by John Olsen > [What joy there is in hearing yourself think, and to make that thinking into ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/what-joy-there-is-in-hearing-yourself-think-and-to-make-that-thinking/) [John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/) > [The most important thing that everyone should bring to the dining experience is a certain generosity of spirit. Just remember that there are two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/the-most-important-thing-that-everyone-should-bring-to-the-dining/) [John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/) > [Really good mountain bikers are lousy judges of trail difficulty. We haven't a clue, we just ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/really-good-mountain-bikers-are-lousy-judges-of-trail-difficulty-we/) [John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/) > [Painting is a means of self-enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/painting-is-a-means-of-self-enlightenment/) [John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/) > [I think a single sentence by Van Gogh is better than the whole work of all the art critics and art historians put together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/i-think-a-single-sentence-by-van-gogh-is-better-than-the-whole-work/) [John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/) > [The important thing about Paris is not so much that one sees exciting work, but one meets people who feel that art is worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/the-important-thing-about-paris-is-not-so-much-that-one-sees-exciting/) [John Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/) [Explore all 7 John Olsen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/) ## 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 > [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": "Art is not so much talent as character… it's what you are, the qualities of the person.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Olsen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-it-s-what-you-are-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-it-s-what-you-are-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/john-olsen-49914_art_art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-i_322721.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/john-olsen-49914_art_art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-i_322721.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/john-olsen-49914_art_art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-i_322721.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Art is not so much talent as character… it's what you are, the qualities of the person.” — John Olsen", "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": "John Olsen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olsen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Art is not so much talent...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-it-s-what-you-are-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olsen/art-is-not-so-much-talent-as-character-it-s-what-you-are-the/#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 } } ] } ```