--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I discovered early that as an artist…" description: "\"I discovered early that as an artist there was absolutely nothing wrong with being surrounded by people who were not dedicated to your field.\" — Junot ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/junot-diaz-531_absolutely-nothing_i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-the_1984918.jpg" --- # I discovered early that as an artist there was absolutely… ![“I discovered early that as an artist there was absolutely nothing wrong with being surrounded by people who were not dedicated to your field.” quote by Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/junot-diaz-531_absolutely-nothing_i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-the_1984918.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/junot-diaz-531_absolutely-nothing_i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-the_1984918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/junot-diaz-531_absolutely-nothing_i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-the_1984918.jpg) > “I discovered early that as an artist there was absolutely nothing wrong with being surrounded by people who were not dedicated to your field.” [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists can thrive even when surrounded by non‑specialists; diverse perspectives can inspire without diluting dedication. **In simple terms:** Artists need not be isolated to grow. Key Takeaway Seek inspiration beyond your field. Themes creativity inspiration community Mood reflective optimistic Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - creative brainstorming - collaborative projects - personal development Key Concepts artistic growth social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can non‑specialists enrich your work? - Do you risk compromising focus? A Different Perspective Isolation can limit exposure to new ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutely nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely-nothing/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Absolutely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-absolutely-3410338/) [Dedicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dedicated/) [Discovered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovered/) [Discovered Early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovered-early-1693085/) [Early Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-artist-3410337/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Dedicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-dedicated-402919/) ## Related quotes > [I discovered at an early age that all I've ever wanted to do is design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/i-discovered-at-an-early-age-that-all-i-ve-ever-wanted-to-do-is-design/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [I discovered early in life a stunning truth that's made my life very complicated in its wake, but that I still think is true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-discovered-early-in-life-a-stunning-truth-that-s-made-my-life-very/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I discovered very early that it wasn't quite enough for me to imitate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-taylor/i-discovered-very-early-that-it-wasn-t-quite-enough-for-me-to-imitate/) [Cecil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-taylor/) > [I discovered early in life that if you take gym first period, you can go into the wrestling room and sit in the corner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/i-discovered-early-in-life-that-if-you-take-gym-first-period-you-can/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [“His wives had discovered early on what a poor or frightening prospect of a father he presented and they had protected themselves and got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/his-wives-had-discovered-early-on-what-a-poor-or-frightening-prospect/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“I discovered early in life that living frightened me when I was sober.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-o-neill/i-discovered-early-in-life-that-living-frightened-me-when-i-was-sober/) [Eugene O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-o-neill/) > [I'm just lucky to have the type of friends and musicians and people dedicated to my music that I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-m-just-lucky-to-have-the-type-of-friends-and-musicians-and-people/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [You want to surround yourself with people who are as dedicated to their discipline as you are to yours and let them do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-want-to-surround-yourself-with-people-who-are-as-dedicated-to/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [Sports is a way of entertainment, to people who are in different backgrounds, and for people who dedicated their lives to achieve the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emerson-fittipaldi/sports-is-a-way-of-entertainment-to-people-who-are-in-different/) [Emerson Fittipaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emerson-fittipaldi/) > [Because of what happened on 9/11, a lot of our resources, our money and our people were dedicated to the terrorism fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-haspel/because-of-what-happened-on-9-11-a-lot-of-our-resources-our-money-and/) [Gina Haspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-haspel/) > [We had hundreds of thousands of people all dedicated to doing the perfect job, and I think they did about as well as anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/we-had-hundreds-of-thousands-of-people-all-dedicated-to-doing-the/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/) > [“I admire all the great people who have dedicated their free time to helping humanity move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-admire-all-the-great-people-who-have-dedicated-their-free-time-to/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [Sometimes I am frustrated by people I dedicated and associated with cos they underestimated me, But now I am elevated beyond their estimation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gbenga-ajala/sometimes-i-am-frustrated-by-people-i-dedicated-and-associated-with/) [Gbenga Ajala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gbenga-ajala/) > [“Amateur psychiatric prognosis can be fascinating when there is absolutely nothing else to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-condon/amateur-psychiatric-prognosis-can-be-fascinating-when-there-is/) [Richard Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-condon/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## More by Junot Diaz > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/tell-her-that-you-love-her-hair-that-you-love-her-skin-her-lips/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [It took me sixteen years to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-took-me-sixteen-years-to-write/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it? There are many formulas. One year for every year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-ask-everybody-you-know-how-long-does-it-usually-take-to-get-over/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The one thing about being a dude and writing from a female perspective is that the baseline is, you suck. The baseline is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-one-thing-about-being-a-dude-and-writing-from-a-female/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I used to think those were the barrio rules, Latinos and blacks in, whites out —a place we down cats weren’t supposed to go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-used-to-think-those-were-the-barrio-rules-latinos-and-blacks-in/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I put my hand on her knee. I just wish you'd say you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-put-my-hand-on-her-knee-i-just-wish-you-d-say-you-love-me/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Called her a whore and attacked her walls, tearing down her posters and throwing her books everywhere. I found out because some whitegirl ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/called-her-a-whore-and-attacked-her-walls-tearing-down-her-posters/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You're Dominican only if you do this, this, and that. And if you do this and that, you'll be accepted to a certain degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-re-dominican-only-if-you-do-this-this-and-that-and-if-you-do-this/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Ramfis fled the country after Trujillo's death, lived dissolutely off his father's swag, and ended up dying in a car crash of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/ramfis-fled-the-country-after-trujillo-s-death-lived-dissolutely-off/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [If you didn't grow up like I did then you don't know, and if you don't know it's probably better you don't judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-didn-t-grow-up-like-i-did-then-you-don-t-know-and-if-you-don-t/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“If you ask me I don't think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That's enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-ask-me-i-don-t-think-there-are-any-such-things-as-curses-i/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The only difference between a published and unpublished writer is a tolerance for imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-only-difference-between-a-published-and-unpublished-writer-is-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Explore all 486 Junot Diaz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## More Absolutely nothing quotes > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Amateur psychiatric prognosis can be fascinating when there is absolutely nothing else to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-condon/amateur-psychiatric-prognosis-can-be-fascinating-when-there-is/) [Richard Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-condon/) > [I am unusual for a Frenchman - I have absolutely nothing against the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-am-unusual-for-a-frenchman-i-have-absolutely-nothing-against-the/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I know quickly whether a guy is boyfriend material. If I can have a good time doing absolutely nothing with him, then that's boyfriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-hannigan/i-know-quickly-whether-a-guy-is-boyfriend-material-if-i-can-have-a/) [Alyson Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-hannigan/) > [I cannot conceive of music that expresses absolutely nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-bartok/i-cannot-conceive-of-music-that-expresses-absolutely-nothing/) [Bela Bartok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-bartok/) > [Well, I've got nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/well-i-ve-got-nothing-to-hide-absolutely-nothing/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-caddy/expect-the-most-wonderful-things-to-happen-not-in-the-future-but/) [Eileen Caddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-caddy/) > [There is no reason not to love. There is no reason not to be joyous. There is no reason not to celebrate because all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-no-reason-not-to-love-there-is-no-reason-not-to-be-joyous/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Here is something no real celebrity will ever tell you: film acting is not very fun. Doing the same thing over and over again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/here-is-something-no-real-celebrity-will-ever-tell-you-film-acting-is/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [Listen to everyone, read everything; believe absolutely nothing unless you can prove it in your own right!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-william-cooper/listen-to-everyone-read-everything-believe-absolutely-nothing-unless/) [Milton William Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-william-cooper/) > [What a delightful thing is the conversation of specialists! One understands absolutely nothing and it's charming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-degas/what-a-delightful-thing-is-the-conversation-of-specialists-one/) [Edgar Degas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-degas/) > [I go to practice every day. I really don't have a training camp. In the boxing world, and that's where that came from, almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-go-to-practice-every-day-i-really-don-t-have-a-training-camp-in-the/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [There is absolutely nothing that you desire that you cannot achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-is-absolutely-nothing-that-you-desire-that-you-cannot-achieve/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [What did Republicans get for 16 days of a government shutdown with people being hurt? We have absolutely nothing to show for it, other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/what-did-republicans-get-for-16-days-of-a-government-shutdown-with/) [Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/) > [Speak kind words to mankind and the unkind will attack you. Speak common sense using all your senses, and you will attacked by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/speak-kind-words-to-mankind-and-the-unkind-will-attack-you-speak/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) [Browse all 268 Absolutely nothing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely-nothing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I discovered early that as an artist there was absolutely nothing wrong with being surrounded by people who were not dedicated to your field.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-there-was-absolutely-nothing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absolutely nothing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-there-was-absolutely-nothing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/junot-diaz-531_absolutely-nothing_i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-the_1984918.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/junot-diaz-531_absolutely-nothing_i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-the_1984918.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/junot-diaz-531_absolutely-nothing_i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-the_1984918.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I discovered early that as an artist there was absolutely nothing wrong with being surrounded by people who…” — Junot Diaz", "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": "Junot Diaz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I discovered early that as an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-there-was-absolutely-nothing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-discovered-early-that-as-an-artist-there-was-absolutely-nothing/#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 } } ] } ```