--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My whole artistic life has been devoted…" description: "\"My whole artistic life has been devoted to battling myself and my ability to externalize my deepest emotions. As I have gotten older, the work has beco..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/joyce-tenneson-23149_ability_my-whole-artistic-life-has-been-devoted_766303.jpg" --- # My whole artistic life has been devoted to battling myself… ![“My whole artistic life has been devoted to battling myself and my ability to externalize my deepest emotions. As I have gotten older, the work has become more direct, perhaps reflecting the fact that for the first time in my life I feel really free. I have been fascinated with wings all my life. I…” quote by Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/joyce-tenneson-23149_ability_my-whole-artistic-life-has-been-devoted_766303.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/joyce-tenneson-23149_ability_my-whole-artistic-life-has-been-devoted_766303.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/joyce-tenneson-23149_ability_my-whole-artistic-life-has-been-devoted_766303.jpg) > “My whole artistic life has been devoted to battling myself and my ability to externalize my deepest emotions. As I have gotten older, the work has become more direct, perhaps reflecting the fact that for the first time in my life I feel really free. I have been fascinated with wings all my life. I have had an obsession with transcendence, the need to push forward and metaphorically fly.” [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects an artist's internal struggle to express deep emotions, evolving toward freedom and a desire for transcendence symbolized by wings and flight. **In simple terms:** Artist battles inner self, seeks freedom, uses wings as metaphor for transcendence. Key Takeaway Embrace vulnerability and pursue creative freedom. Themes self‑expression freedom transcendence creativity Mood reflective hopeful introspective Type personal inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal therapy - art workshops - creative writing - performance art - mindful meditation Key Concepts psychology symbolism artistic evolution Questions to Reflect On - How does confronting inner conflict shape your art? - What does "flying" mean to you beyond metaphor? A Different Perspective The pursuit of freedom may clash with external expectations or commercial pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) [Artistic life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-life/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Push Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/push-forward/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Transcendence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcendence/) ## Related quotes > [I've always been fascinated by everything with wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-everything-with-wings/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [The life of faith is not a life of mounting up with wings, but a life of walking and not fainting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-life-of-faith-is-not-a-life-of-mounting-up-with-wings-but-a-life/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [There was a moth in there, and it still had its wings crumpled up, and it was just starting to pump its wings up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-clark/there-was-a-moth-in-there-and-it-still-had-its-wings-crumpled-up-and/) [Laurel Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-clark/) > [Red Bull are backing a spinal-injury research charity called Wings For Life, which I am an ambassador for, with a programme called Faces for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-webber/red-bull-are-backing-a-spinal-injury-research-charity-called-wings/) [Mark Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-webber/) > [My whole artistic life has always been about change, change, change, move on, move on. It's the only thing I find interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/my-whole-artistic-life-has-always-been-about-change-change-change/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [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/) > [My mom moved to New York City alone with a kid on each hip to try to live an authentic artistic life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-paulson/my-mom-moved-to-new-york-city-alone-with-a-kid-on-each-hip-to-try-to/) [Sarah Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-paulson/) > [Woodstock had a tremendous impact on American artistic life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/woodstock-had-a-tremendous-impact-on-american-artistic-life/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“To the Greeks this problem of the conditions of poetic production, and the places occupied by either spontaneity or self-consciousness in any artistic work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-the-greeks-this-problem-of-the-conditions-of-poetic-production-and/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Advancing towards a person’s dreams with confidence enables a person to move beyond restrictive boundaries and meet with uncommon success. Liberated from personal insecurities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/advancing-towards-a-person-s-dreams-with-confidence-enables-a-person/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [Love trumps everything. Love's decision will not always be kind to your artistic life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinita-hampton-wright/love-trumps-everything-love-s-decision-will-not-always-be-kind-to/) [Vinita Hampton Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinita-hampton-wright/) > [“There are all sorts of families," Tom's grandmother had remarked, and over the following few weeks Tom became part of the Casson family, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/there-are-all-sorts-of-families-tom-s-grandmother-had-remarked-and/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) > [I think for anyone who follows the 'artistic life,' a certain amount of selfishness and self-involvement is part of the package. You're probably already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/i-think-for-anyone-who-follows-the-artistic-life-a-certain-amount-of/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [The pleasure that attaches to the artistic life comes in imagining what we might do as opposed to acknowledging what we have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-solomon/the-pleasure-that-attaches-to-the-artistic-life-comes-in-imagining/) [Deborah Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-solomon/) > [It is fatal to one's artistic life to talk about something this is in process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-levertov/it-is-fatal-to-one-s-artistic-life-to-talk-about-something-this-is-in/) [Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-levertov/) ## More by Joyce Tenneson > [Michaelangelo said the mirror is our greatest teacher. My use of mirrors in my work helps me uncover psychic layers. Often, the face is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/michaelangelo-said-the-mirror-is-our-greatest-teacher-my-use-of/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [My early self-portraits appeared effortlessly and seemed like equivalents for my deeper emotions. Many critics remarked that the images had an almost other-worldly haunting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/my-early-self-portraits-appeared-effortlessly-and-seemed-like/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [Find the one thing you’re good at and FOCUS on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/find-the-one-thing-you-re-good-at-and-focus-on-it/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [If I am lucky, something new and inexplicable often appears in front of my lens. I am always surprised by the mystery of how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/if-i-am-lucky-something-new-and-inexplicable-often-appears-in-front/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [Photographing these flowers has made me see the world differently. It was as if I had lifted a secret veil from a subject I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/photographing-these-flowers-has-made-me-see-the-world-differently-it/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [I found that I wanted to be best friends with almost all the women I interviewed because they had been through something. They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/i-found-that-i-wanted-to-be-best-friends-with-almost-all-the-women-i/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [If I had to pick a single word to describe what my pictures are all about, I would say 'secrets.' As a child I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/if-i-had-to-pick-a-single-word-to-describe-what-my-pictures-are-all/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [I would never censor something to please someone. I don't play games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/i-would-never-censor-something-to-please-someone-i-don-t-play-games/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [The people I work with, the people I photograph, become a kind of family for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/the-people-i-work-with-the-people-i-photograph-become-a-kind-of/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [I never chased after any particular school, never really had mentors; I really just did the work that was true to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/i-never-chased-after-any-particular-school-never-really-had-mentors-i/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [I have the same themes over and over again. How I'm saying it keeps changing or growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/i-have-the-same-themes-over-and-over-again-how-i-m-saying-it-keeps/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [I want to allow others to reveal and celebrate aspects of themselves that are usually hidden. My camera is a witness. It holds a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/i-want-to-allow-others-to-reveal-and-celebrate-aspects-of-themselves/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [Over the years I have photographed thousands of people. I have never stopped being curious and trying to discover new worlds. I have used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/over-the-years-i-have-photographed-thousands-of-people-i-have-never/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [I think of my work as very polarizing; either people really do like it and are touched by it or they really don't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/i-think-of-my-work-as-very-polarizing-either-people-really-do-like-it/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [The most important thing is to try and enjoy life because you never know when it will be gone. If you wake up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/the-most-important-thing-is-to-try-and-enjoy-life-because-you-never/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) [Explore all 26 Joyce Tenneson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My whole artistic life has been devoted to battling myself and my ability to externalize my deepest emotions. 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