--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Judging your early artistic efforts is…" description: "\"Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse. . . Remember that in order to recover as an artist, you must be willing to be a bad artist. Give y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/julia-cameron-830_abuse_judging-your-early-artistic-efforts-is-a_1466150.png" --- # Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse… ![“Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse. . . Remember that in order to recover as an artist, you must be willing to be a bad artist. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. By being willing to be a bad artist, you have a chance to be an artist, and perhaps, over time, a very good one” quote by Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/julia-cameron-830_abuse_judging-your-early-artistic-efforts-is-a_1466150.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/julia-cameron-830_abuse_judging-your-early-artistic-efforts-is-a_1466150.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/julia-cameron-830_abuse_judging-your-early-artistic-efforts-is-a_1466150.png) > “Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse. . . Remember that in order to recover as an artist, you must be willing to be a bad artist. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. By being willing to be a bad artist, you have a chance to be an artist, and perhaps, over time, a very good one” [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative growth requires embracing beginner status and allowing mistakes as part of learning. **In simple terms:** Being a beginner is necessary for artistic development. Key Takeaway Allow yourself to be a novice. Themes creativity growth vulnerability Mood encouraging hopeful Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - art practice - writing - learning new skills Key Concepts beginner’s mindset self‑compassion Questions to Reflect On - How can you celebrate small creative failures? - What beginner habit could you start today? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-abuse-2561840/) [Artist Permission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-permission-2015475/) [Artist Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-willing-2451182/) [Artistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) [Bad Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-artist-273840/) [Beginners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginners/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Permission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permission/) [Recover Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recover-artist-5309227/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Very good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-good/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) ## Related quotes > [Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/judging-your-early-artistic-efforts-is-artist-abuse/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [“Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse. This happens in any number of ways: beginning work is measured against the masterworks of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/judging-your-early-artistic-efforts-is-artist-abuse-this-happens-in/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [A copying artist should get permission or pay the original artist a fee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver/a-copying-artist-should-get-permission-or-pay-the-original-artist-a/) [Oliver $](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver/) > [By being willing to be a bad artist, you have a chance to be an artist, and perhaps, over time, a very good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/by-being-willing-to-be-a-bad-artist-you-have-a-chance-to-be-an-artist/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [I've learned a lot about the limits of what I can do, as an artist, or what I'm willing to do. It's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-maslany/i-ve-learned-a-lot-about-the-limits-of-what-i-can-do-as-an-artist-or/) [Tatiana Maslany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-maslany/) > [To be a great artist, you have to be willing to take risks and to do things that no one would ever pay you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-decker/to-be-a-great-artist-you-have-to-be-willing-to-take-risks-and-to-do/) [Josephine Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-decker/) > [If I can reach the guy in Alabama that hunts, and he hears that song, and he sees me - like, he's comfortable with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-combs/if-i-can-reach-the-guy-in-alabama-that-hunts-and-he-hears-that-song/) [Luke Combs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-combs/) > [An artist's career doesn't happen in the cycle of one week of news. An artist's career happens in a lifetime, and if you're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/an-artist-s-career-doesn-t-happen-in-the-cycle-of-one-week-of-news-an/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [Part of being an artist is being willing to be shocked, being willing to be surprised, being willing to be hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/part-of-being-an-artist-is-being-willing-to-be-shocked-being-willing/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [I'm a fairly tormented artist, and I'm less willing to indulge myself in self-pity, outside of songwriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/i-m-a-fairly-tormented-artist-and-i-m-less-willing-to-indulge-myself/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [Getting people to go above and beyond the call of duty can be achieved but only if you, the artist, are willing to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/getting-people-to-go-above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty-can-be/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [A good artist is willing to die many times over. What's funny is, I've died so many times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/a-good-artist-is-willing-to-die-many-times-over-what-s-funny-is-i-ve/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [Perfectionism doesn't believe in practice shots. It doesn't believe in improvement. Perfectionism has never heard that anything worth doing is worth doing badly--and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/perfectionism-doesn-t-believe-in-practice-shots-it-doesn-t-believe-in/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [The beginner's humility and openness lead to exploration. Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with the first small and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/the-beginner-s-humility-and-openness-lead-to-exploration-exploration/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/the-grace-to-be-a-beginner-is-always-the-best-prayer-for-an-artist-2/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) ## More by Julia Cameron > [All too often, it is audacity and not talent that moves an artist to center stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/all-too-often-it-is-audacity-and-not-talent-that-moves-an-artist-to/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [Fatigue can make it hard to have faith. Too much busyness can make it hard to have faith. 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Absorbed in our devices - at any age - we are absorbed in someone else's perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/technology-teaches-passivity-absorbed-in-our-devices-at-any-age-we/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [There's this mythology that parents are supposed to be parents 24/7 and are supposed to be completely fulfilled by their kids. That's not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/there-s-this-mythology-that-parents-are-supposed-to-be-parents-24-7/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/perfectionism-is-not-a-quest-for-the-best-it-is-a-pursuit-of-the/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [I am compassionate. 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