--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A painting can't be everything. You have…" description: "\"A painting can't be everything. You have to stop, at some point. It has to be finished, if you want anyone to see it. Some people just continue to work..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/john-slattery-19038_finished_a-painting-can-t-be-everything-you-have_1669278.jpg" --- # A painting can't be everything. You have to stop, at some… ![“A painting can't be everything. You have to stop, at some point. It has to be finished, if you want anyone to see it. Some people just continue to work on things, forever. I don't know which is better.” quote by John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/john-slattery-19038_finished_a-painting-can-t-be-everything-you-have_1669278.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/john-slattery-19038_finished_a-painting-can-t-be-everything-you-have_1669278.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/john-slattery-19038_finished_a-painting-can-t-be-everything-you-have_1669278.jpg) > “A painting can't be everything. You have to stop, at some point. It has to be finished, if you want anyone to see it. Some people just continue to work on things, forever. I don't know which is better.” [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art must reach completion to be appreciated; endless work prevents sharing. **In simple terms:** Finish art to share it. Key Takeaway Set deadlines for projects. Themes creativity completion discipline Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - painting a portrait - finishing a sculpture - publishing a book Key Concepts artistic process perfectionism Questions to Reflect On - When did you stop refining and release? - How do you balance polish and timeliness? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Continue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continue/) [Continue Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continue-work/) [Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Just Continue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-continue-342905/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Painting Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting-stop-841902/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [I just continue to work on what I want to work on, and I'm not rushing to achieve anything, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-barty/i-just-continue-to-work-on-what-i-want-to-work-on-and-i-m-not-rushing/) [Ashleigh Barty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-barty/) > [I just continue to work hard, continue to stay focused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geno-smith/i-just-continue-to-work-hard-continue-to-stay-focused/) [Geno Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geno-smith/) > [I'll just continue doing what I'm doing until I'm told otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-page/i-ll-just-continue-doing-what-i-m-doing-until-i-m-told-otherwise/) [Rob Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-page/) > [Just continue what you are doing. 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Continue work and sort out issues simultaneously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajinikanth/i-have-always-said-never-stop-work-continue-work-and-sort-out-issues/) [Rajinikanth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajinikanth/) > [As an actor, you just want to continue to work on things that you like. You can be in this business a long time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/as-an-actor-you-just-want-to-continue-to-work-on-things-that-you-like/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Push yourself every single day to continue to work at yourself. And I feel like that's the reason why I made it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scherzer/push-yourself-every-single-day-to-continue-to-work-at-yourself-and-i/) [Max Scherzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scherzer/) > [I just continue to grind on my own. You can't deny good music at the end of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnis/i-just-continue-to-grind-on-my-own-you-can-t-deny-good-music-at-the/) [Donnis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnis/) > [My job is just to continue to get better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/my-job-is-just-to-continue-to-get-better/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) ## More by John Slattery > [I've never directed anything before 'Mad Men,' so I don't feel I have any advice for the other directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/i-ve-never-directed-anything-before-mad-men-so-i-don-t-feel-i-have/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [Viewers can hate a character and at the same time can't take their eyes off of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/viewers-can-hate-a-character-and-at-the-same-time-can-t-take-their/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [When I first started, I was kind of surprised that anyone would ever hire me at all. So I took everything that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/when-i-first-started-i-was-kind-of-surprised-that-anyone-would-ever/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [And I don't want to jump out of an airplane - I've done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/and-i-don-t-want-to-jump-out-of-an-airplane-i-ve-done-that/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [I guess, you make a big studio film, you spend a lot of money on it and you hope people go see it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/i-guess-you-make-a-big-studio-film-you-spend-a-lot-of-money-on-it-and/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [For some reason surfing... I'm not scared of the ocean so the risk doesn't seem as great to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/for-some-reason-surfing-i-m-not-scared-of-the-ocean-so-the-risk-doesn/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [I've dyed my hair a million times and it looks terrible, always. It just looks fake. And it doesn't make me look that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/i-ve-dyed-my-hair-a-million-times-and-it-looks-terrible-always-it/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [I'm proud of myself that I had the courage to experiment with crazy hairstyles and some fashion things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/i-m-proud-of-myself-that-i-had-the-courage-to-experiment-with-crazy/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [I do voiceovers, but being on-camera and selling something? I wasn't really interested. And then I thought, well, wait a minute. Everybody's selling something.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/i-do-voiceovers-but-being-on-camera-and-selling-something-i-wasn-t/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [The rule of surfing is never tell anyone where you go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/the-rule-of-surfing-is-never-tell-anyone-where-you-go/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [You have to fight for what you need to fight for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/you-have-to-fight-for-what-you-need-to-fight-for/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [I used to be more insecure about working, and I guess the older I get, the more rich my life becomes, I don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/i-used-to-be-more-insecure-about-working-and-i-guess-the-older-i-get/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [The path you end up on means that you have to close a lot of doors, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/the-path-you-end-up-on-means-that-you-have-to-close-a-lot-of-doors-too/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [I'm a little kid at heart, so my eyes light up when everything is lit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/i-m-a-little-kid-at-heart-so-my-eyes-light-up-when-everything-is-lit/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) > [We all went through that teen phase of wearing that really soft fragrance. As I got older, I started loving men's fragrances and cologne.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-slattery/we-all-went-through-that-teen-phase-of-wearing-that-really-soft/) [John Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) [Explore all 33 John Slattery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-slattery/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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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": "A painting can't be everything. You have to stop, at some point. It has to be finished, if you want anyone to see it. Some people just continue to work on things, forever. 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