--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's good to vandalize one's own work." description: "\"“It's good to vandalize one's own work.”\" — John P. Sousa" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/john-p-sousa-94820_art_it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work-15_1547277.jpg" --- # It's good to vandalize one's own work. ![“It's good to vandalize one's own work.” quote by John P. Sousa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/john-p-sousa-94820_art_it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work-15_1547277.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/john-p-sousa-94820_art_it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work-15_1547277.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/john-p-sousa-94820_art_it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work-15_1547277.jpg) > ““It's good to vandalize one's own work.”” [John P. Sousa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-sousa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑destruction can be a creative catalyst, challenging conventions and sparking innovation. **In simple terms:** Destroying your own work can inspire new ideas. Key Takeaway Embrace controlled disruption to refresh creative work. Themes creativity art self‑critique innovation risk Mood provocative thought‑provoking Type Art:1 Artist:1 Creating art:0 Creation:0 Good:0 Work:0 Vandalize:1 Good Vandalize:0 Vandalize Work:1 When to use this quote - studio practice - digital art - performance art - writing - product design Key Concepts artistic rebellion creative renewal psychology of destruction Questions to Reflect On - When is it constructive to dismantle your own creation? - What safeguards can preserve useful elements? A Different Perspective Risk of losing valuable work may outweigh benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Creating art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating-art/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Vandalize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-vandalize-5775014/) [Vandalize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vandalize-4490241/) [Vandalize Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vandalize-work-5775015/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“He spun out enough toilet paper to vandalize a house and carefully cleaned the seat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rex/he-spun-out-enough-toilet-paper-to-vandalize-a-house-and-carefully/) [Adam Rex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rex/) > [Hit Japan and I'm instagram camera shy. Samurais. Fucking up a Jerm beat. Teach you how to vandalize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-miller/hit-japan-and-i-m-instagram-camera-shy-samurais-fucking-up-a-jerm/) [Mac Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-miller/) > [When I am creating art, I have absolutely no social responsibility. It's like dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cronenberg/when-i-am-creating-art-i-have-absolutely-no-social-responsibility-it/) [David Cronenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cronenberg/) > [“Creating art is a lonely task, which is why we introverts revel in it,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-zappia/creating-art-is-a-lonely-task-which-is-why-we-introverts-revel-in-it/) [Francesca Zappia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-zappia/) > [When I'm creating art or music, when something is resonating or a scene is going well, that almost feels religious to me... there's this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/when-i-m-creating-art-or-music-when-something-is-resonating-or-a/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [“Stop settling for what's good enough and start creating art that matters”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/stop-settling-for-what-s-good-enough-and-start-creating-art-that/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Every artist should live by these words: Never feel bad about successfully selling your creations. Never feel bad about creating art you can't sell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ecko/every-artist-should-live-by-these-words-never-feel-bad-about/) [Marc Ecko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ecko/) > [I think one of the big mistakes people make is to have fame as one of their main goals. That is the biggest mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-sandoval/i-think-one-of-the-big-mistakes-people-make-is-to-have-fame-as-one-of/) [Hope Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-sandoval/) > [An artist is only an artist on condition that he neglects no aspect of his dual nature. This dualism is the power of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/an-artist-is-only-an-artist-on-condition-that-he-neglects-no-aspect/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [Creating art or something beautiful makes you a more full filled person than they can ever be because theyre caught up in what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoheb/creating-art-or-something-beautiful-makes-you-a-more-full-filled/) [Zoheb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoheb/) > [...start thinking of yourself as an artist and your life as a work-in-progress. Works-in-progress are never perfect. But changes can be made...Art evolves. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/start-thinking-of-yourself-as-an-artist-and-your-life-as-a-work-in/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [In my low periods, I wondered what was the point of creating art. For whom? Are we animating God? Are we talking to ourselves?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/in-my-low-periods-i-wondered-what-was-the-point-of-creating-art-for/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [“One of the most connective things we can do for ourselves, is to become world travelers of our own internal landscapes. What i love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaeda-dewalt/one-of-the-most-connective-things-we-can-do-for-ourselves-is-to/) [Jaeda DeWalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaeda-dewalt/) > [It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-is-art-that-makes-life-makes-interest-makes-importance/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [I began my career creating art for an animated feature film, and it has been a life-long dream to tell some of the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kinkade/i-began-my-career-creating-art-for-an-animated-feature-film-and-it/) [Thomas Kinkade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kinkade/) ## More by John P. Sousa > [“Regarding creating a new work..."Sometimes you have to beat it like a red-headed step-child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-sousa/regarding-creating-a-new-work-sometimes-you-have-to-beat-it-like-a/) [John P. Sousa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-sousa/) [Explore all 2 John P. Sousa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-sousa/) ## 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": "“It's good to vandalize one's own work.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John P. Sousa" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-sousa/it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-sousa/it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/john-p-sousa-94820_art_it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work-15_1547277.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/john-p-sousa-94820_art_it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work-15_1547277.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/john-p-sousa-94820_art_it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work-15_1547277.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's good to vandalize one's own work.” — John P. Sousa", "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 P. Sousa", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-sousa/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It's good to vandalize one's own...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-sousa/it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-sousa/it-s-good-to-vandalize-one-s-own-work/#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 } } ] } ```