--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is not a how-to book. It is a…" description: "\"“This is not a how-to book. It is a how-to-think-about-how-to book. In it I bombard you with images and metaphors with never a photograph or diagram in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/judith-mason-250902_art-education_this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to_3170727.jpg" --- # This is not a how-to book. It is a… ![“This is not a how-to book. It is a how-to-think-about-how-to book. In it I bombard you with images and metaphors with never a photograph or diagram in sight. Your mind's eye will create all the images in this text, and each mind is unique. Getting these, and other images, down on paper will…” quote by Judith Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/judith-mason-250902_art-education_this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to_3170727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/judith-mason-250902_art-education_this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to_3170727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/judith-mason-250902_art-education_this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to_3170727.jpg) > ““This is not a how-to book. It is a how-to-think-about-how-to book. In it I bombard you with images and metaphors with never a photograph or diagram in sight. Your mind's eye will create all the images in this text, and each mind is unique. Getting these, and other images, down on paper will provide you with fun, frustration, joy and despair. Like life,”” Judith Mason ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The work challenges readers to imagine images without visual aids, turning reading into a personal visual experience that blends frustration and joy. **In simple terms:** Reading becomes a mental picture exercise. Key Takeaway Embrace mental imagery while reading. Themes creativity art education mindfulness personal growth Mood contemplative inspired thoughtful Type Art education:1 Art making:1 Books:1 Creativity:1 Creativity-process:1 Creativity-quote:1 Cultural-history:0 Drawing:0 Educational:1 Educational-enrichment:0 Inspirational:1 Personal growth:1 Perspective:0 Photography:0 Psychology:0 Thought provoking:1 Thoughts-of-the-mind:1 Book Think:0 Think Book:0 Images Metaphors:1 Images Paper:0 Images Text:0 When to use this quote - art education - creative writing - self‑guided learning - mind‑mapping - visualization Key Concepts visual imagination metaphorical thinking creative process individual perception emotional response Questions to Reflect On - How does your mind picture abstract descriptions? - What emotions arise from creating images without pictures? A Different Perspective Not all readers thrive on abstract imagery; some need concrete visuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-education/) [Art making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-making/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Personal growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-growth/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Thought provoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-provoking/) ## Related quotes > [The deep places in our lives - places of resistance and embrace - are reached only by stories, by images, metaphors and phrases that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-deep-places-in-our-lives-places-of-resistance-and-embrace-are/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [“Visualize a way to make a specific part of your world a better place for all those living in it and not just yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-fanning/visualize-a-way-to-make-a-specific-part-of-your-world-a-better-place/) Michael C. Fanning > [“Practical affairs task the human brain throughout the day. At night, the mind takes a deserved hiatus to consider the impossible and the absurd.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/practical-affairs-task-the-human-brain-throughout-the-day-at-night/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Creativity is like the ocean: sometimes it is an unstoppable wave bursting forth, crashing onto the shore, and overwhelmingly flowing with no hope of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-poirot/creativity-is-like-the-ocean-sometimes-it-is-an-unstoppable-wave/) [Ken Poirot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-poirot/) > [“In a world where education is predominantly verbal, highly educated people find it all but impossible to pay serious attention to anything but words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/in-a-world-where-education-is-predominantly-verbal-highly-educated/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“Down through the ages and in the whole world, Watt and Newton cannot have been the only ones to notice the steam from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tetsuko-kuroyanagi/down-through-the-ages-and-in-the-whole-world-watt-and-newton-cannot/) Tetsuko Kuroyanagi > [“When we create and share, we bare a little more of our soul to the world. That is one of our greatest strengths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-pacholyk/when-we-create-and-share-we-bare-a-little-more-of-our-soul-to-the/) [Andrew Pacholyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-pacholyk/) > [“Keep learning, keep learning!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/keep-learning-keep-learning/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“In a world full of game players, the only way to set yourself apart is to be a game changer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/in-a-world-full-of-game-players-the-only-way-to-set-yourself-apart-is/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“The world accommodates you for fitting in, but only rewards you for standing out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-world-accommodates-you-for-fitting-in-but-only-rewards-you-for/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [ “A well rounded education never hurt anyone". ~R. Alan Woods \[1999\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/a-well-rounded-education-never-hurt-anyone-r-alan-woods-1999/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) ## More Art education quotes > [There's a side to reality TV that is part education, as well. I've seen that since doing "MasterChef Junior," in terms of the effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/there-s-a-side-to-reality-tv-that-is-part-education-as-well-i-ve-seen/) [Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/) > [Artists are people who are subject to irrational convictions of the sacred. Baudelaire said that an artist is a child who has acquired adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schjeldahl/artists-are-people-who-are-subject-to-irrational-convictions-of-the/) [Peter Schjeldahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schjeldahl/) > [The strength of every democracy is measured by its commitment to the arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-segars/the-strength-of-every-democracy-is-measured-by-its-commitment-to-the/) Charles Segars > [I do not want art for a few any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-do-not-want-art-for-a-few-any-more-than-education-for-a-few-or/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [The big artist .. . keeps a sharp eye on Nature and steals her tools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-eakins/the-big-artist-keeps-a-sharp-eye-on-nature-and-steals-her-tools/) [Thomas Eakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-eakins/) > [Not every show is meant to impart education and has to be entertainment driven as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rubina-dilaik/not-every-show-is-meant-to-impart-education-and-has-to-be/) [Rubina Dilaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rubina-dilaik/) > [For some students, especially in the sciences, the knowledge gained in college may be directly relevant to graduate study. For almost all students, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/for-some-students-especially-in-the-sciences-the-knowledge-gained-in/) [Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/) > [If I ever go back to college, I'd study art education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-cosmos/if-i-ever-go-back-to-college-i-d-study-art-education/) [Frankie Cosmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-cosmos/) > [The rapidly evolving global economy demands a dynamic and creative workforce. The arts and its related businesses are responsible for billions of dollars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-segars/the-rapidly-evolving-global-economy-demands-a-dynamic-and-creative/) Charles Segars > [I have no evangelical feelings about art at all. I despise art education. Art doesn't lend itself to education. There is no knowledge there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hickey/i-have-no-evangelical-feelings-about-art-at-all-i-despise-art/) [Dave Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hickey/) > [It should begin much earlier with arts education in the American school system, which is sadly deficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/it-should-begin-much-earlier-with-arts-education-in-the-american/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [Photography was increasingly being seen as something outside the art world. As a sort of illustration. They just fired the director of photography at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-franklin/photography-was-increasingly-being-seen-as-something-outside-the-art/) [Stuart Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-franklin/) > [I think the more you have a generalist perspective, I think sometimes the more you can kind of see through the forest and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/i-think-the-more-you-have-a-generalist-perspective-i-think-sometimes/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [What is desperately needed... is the skepticism and the sense of history that a liberal arts education provides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-rohatyn/what-is-desperately-needed-is-the-skepticism-and-the-sense-of-history/) [Felix Rohatyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-rohatyn/) > [The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/the-future-of-our-nation-depends-on-providing-our-children-with-a/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) [Browse all 82 Art education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This is not a how-to book. It is a how-to-think-about-how-to book. In it I bombard you with images and metaphors with never a photograph or diagram in sight. Your mind's eye will create all the images in this text, and each mind is unique. Getting these, and other images, down on paper will provide you with fun, frustration, joy and despair. Like life,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith Mason" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mason/this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to-think-about-how-to-book-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mason/this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to-think-about-how-to-book-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/judith-mason-250902_art-education_this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to_3170727.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/judith-mason-250902_art-education_this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to_3170727.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/judith-mason-250902_art-education_this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to_3170727.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is not a how-to book. It is a how-to-think-about-how-to book. In it I bombard you with images and…” — Judith Mason", "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": "Judith Mason", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mason/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This is not a how-to book....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mason/this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to-think-about-how-to-book-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mason/this-is-not-a-how-to-book-it-is-a-how-to-think-about-how-to-book-in/#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 } } ] } ```