--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I certainly don't want to be an angry old…" description: "\"I certainly don't want to be an angry old artist.\" — Joni Mitchell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/joni-mitchell-1160_anger_i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-ol_934290.png" --- # I certainly don't want to be an angry old artist. ![“I certainly don't want to be an angry old artist.” quote by Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/joni-mitchell-1160_anger_i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-ol_934290.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/joni-mitchell-1160_anger_i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-ol_934290.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/joni-mitchell-1160_anger_i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-ol_934290.png) > “I certainly don't want to be an angry old artist.” [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker fears becoming a bitter, resentful creator as they age. **In simple terms:** Avoid becoming a resentful artist. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and gratitude. Themes aging art self-awareness Mood reflective melancholic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career longevity - personal growth - artistic practice Key Concepts emotional intelligence longevity Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay humble in your craft? - What practices keep resentment at bay? A Different Perspective Aging may bring wisdom, not bitterness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to be like the angry old guy in the corner who is always ranting and raving about the same things -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/i-don-t-want-to-be-like-the-angry-old-guy-in-the-corner-who-is-always/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [When I was 23, I moved to Australia to be with this 43-year-old con artist I fell in love with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-leggero/when-i-was-23-i-moved-to-australia-to-be-with-this-43-year-old-con/) [Natasha Leggero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-leggero/) > [Of course, people will call you an old artist or young artist, which is just a character of you. But personally, I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/of-course-people-will-call-you-an-old-artist-or-young-artist-which-is/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [ “Like too many men, Trahearne and I didn't know how to deal with a woman like \[the girl\], caught as we were between our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-crumley/like-too-many-men-trahearne-and-i-didn-t-know-how-to-deal-with-a/) [James Crumley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-crumley/) > [You want to see an angry person? Let me hear a cell phone go off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/you-want-to-see-an-angry-person-let-me-hear-a-cell-phone-go-off/) [Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/) > [“I want to be angry, to assert my will. But she melts me with that smile. It’s her best weapon, kindness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bertauski/i-want-to-be-angry-to-assert-my-will-but-she-melts-me-with-that-smile/) Tony Bertauski > [If someone isn't what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-someone-isn-t-what-others-want-them-to-be-the-others-become-angry-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I don't want to be the angry guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-don-t-want-to-be-the-angry-guy/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [“you want to be angry but you can’t stop looking and when you look you love and when you love the entire world unfolds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sina-queyras/you-want-to-be-angry-but-you-can-t-stop-looking-and-when-you-look-you/) [Sina Queyras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sina-queyras/) > [I was so frustrated with my whole life that I walked up this hilltop and screamed at the heavens. It was very dramatic -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/i-was-so-frustrated-with-my-whole-life-that-i-walked-up-this-hilltop/) [Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/) > [If you want to be angry at Gore, be angry at him for not fighting harder in Florida.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/if-you-want-to-be-angry-at-gore-be-angry-at-him-for-not-fighting/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [“If you need to fall apart, then do it. If you want to be angry, then yell at me.” She shook her head. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-finn/if-you-need-to-fall-apart-then-do-it-if-you-want-to-be-angry-then/) [Elizabeth Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-finn/) > [Sometimes, I want to talk on a song and be angry, because I am angry. Then there's always a part of me that remembers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/sometimes-i-want-to-talk-on-a-song-and-be-angry-because-i-am-angry/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) > [“They want you to be angry, too. You can see the same dynamic in a lot of personal relationships. I have friends who often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/they-want-you-to-be-angry-too-you-can-see-the-same-dynamic-in-a-lot/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“If someone isn't what others want them to be, the others become angry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-someone-isn-t-what-others-want-them-to-be-the-others-become-angry/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Joni Mitchell > [They paved paradise and put up a parkin lot With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot Don't it always seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/they-paved-paradise-and-put-up-a-parkin-lot-with-a-pink-hotel-a/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I have one piece of music, since 1997, and I don't see it having lyrics. Where does it go in this world? So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-have-one-piece-of-music-since-1997-and-i-don-t-see-it-having-lyrics/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Musically, I would never run dry. Any time I sit down to an instrument, I could write a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/musically-i-would-never-run-dry-any-time-i-sit-down-to-an-instrument/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [You snipe so steady, you snub so snide, so rip and ready to diminish and deride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/you-snipe-so-steady-you-snub-so-snide-so-rip-and-ready-to-diminish/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I loved Debussy, Stravinsky, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, anything with romantic melodies, especially the nocturnes. Nietzsche was a hero, especially with 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra.' He gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-loved-debussy-stravinsky-chopin-tchaikovsky-anything-with-romantic/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [When the spirit of child's play enters into the creative process, it's a wonderful force and something to be nurtured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/when-the-spirit-of-child-s-play-enters-into-the-creative-process-it-s/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Americans have decided to be stupid and shallow since 1980.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/americans-have-decided-to-be-stupid-and-shallow-since-1980/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I was young for my age. Not as naïve as they expected. I don't know why I seem to bring that out in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-was-young-for-my-age-not-as-na-ve-as-they-expected-i-don-t-know-why/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [This is a nation that has lost the ability to be self-critical, and that makes a lie out of the freedoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/this-is-a-nation-that-has-lost-the-ability-to-be-self-critical-and/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Land of snap decisions, land of short attention spans, nothing is savored long enough to really understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/land-of-snap-decisions-land-of-short-attention-spans-nothing-is/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I like my freedom. I like to do my own grocery shopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-like-my-freedom-i-like-to-do-my-own-grocery-shopping/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I'm not a pitiable creature. It's just that I suffer very eloquently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-m-not-a-pitiable-creature-it-s-just-that-i-suffer-very-eloquently/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I can't remember anything I ever wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-can-t-remember-anything-i-ever-wrote/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) [Explore all 281 Joni Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) ## More Anger quotes > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) [Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I certainly don't want to be an angry old artist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joni Mitchell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-old-artist/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anger" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-old-artist/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/joni-mitchell-1160_anger_i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-ol_934290.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/joni-mitchell-1160_anger_i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-ol_934290.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/856/joni-mitchell-1160_anger_i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-ol_934290.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I certainly don't want to be an angry old artist.” — Joni Mitchell", "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": "Joni Mitchell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I certainly don't want to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-old-artist/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-certainly-don-t-want-to-be-an-angry-old-artist/#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 } } ] } ```