--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were really poor when I was growing…" description: "\"We were really poor when I was growing up; my parents, both artists, were bohemians. Life was a desperate struggle, but in service of a high ideal, whi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20e/justine-kurland-46308_art_we-were-really-poor-when-i-was-growing-u_844114.jpg" --- # We were really poor when I was growing up; my parents… ![“We were really poor when I was growing up; my parents, both artists, were bohemians. Life was a desperate struggle, but in service of a high ideal, which is exactly what my photographs are about.” quote by Justine Kurland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20e/justine-kurland-46308_art_we-were-really-poor-when-i-was-growing-u_844114.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20e/justine-kurland-46308_art_we-were-really-poor-when-i-was-growing-u_844114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20e/justine-kurland-46308_art_we-were-really-poor-when-i-was-growing-u_844114.jpg) > “We were really poor when I was growing up; my parents, both artists, were bohemians. Life was a desperate struggle, but in service of a high ideal, which is exactly what my photographs are about.” [Justine Kurland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-kurland/) ## 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 how poverty and artistic ambition can coexist, driving creative work that serves a higher ideal despite hardship. **In simple terms:** Hardship fuels art for a higher ideal. Key Takeaway Channel struggle into purposeful creativity. Themes poverty artistic ambition idealism resilience Mood resolute inspired Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - creative projects - social activism - personal storytelling Key Concepts Marxist theory aesthetic purpose social commentary Questions to Reflect On - How does scarcity shape your creative voice? - What higher ideal guides your work? A Different Perspective Idealism may clash with material needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artists Bohemians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists-bohemians-675016/) [Bohemians Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bohemians-life-675014/) [Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) [Exactly Photographs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exactly-photographs-675017/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-artists-675015/) [Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph/) [Photographs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographs/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) ## Related quotes > [I never saw so many well-dressed, well-fed, business-looking Bohemians in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-never-saw-so-many-well-dressed-well-fed-business-looking-bohemians/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I didn't grow up, really, in the film business, even though my parents are both artists. I grew up in New York City. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-garner/i-didn-t-grow-up-really-in-the-film-business-even-though-my-parents/) [Julia Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-garner/) > [My parents are artists, so I grew up with my mom having bonfires, seven guitars, and talented musicians and artists around like Jack Hirschman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-tamblyn/my-parents-are-artists-so-i-grew-up-with-my-mom-having-bonfires-seven/) [Amber Tamblyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-tamblyn/) > [My parents were artists, bohemian, hanging out a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-nokia/my-parents-were-artists-bohemian-hanging-out-a-lot/) [Princess Nokia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-nokia/) > [My parents are artists and they decided they would prefer to paint in the Mediterranean rather than in Scotland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-russell/my-parents-are-artists-and-they-decided-they-would-prefer-to-paint-in/) [David Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-russell/) > [It was a natural path for me, being an artist. 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I never really had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigette-lundy-paine/my-parents-are-both-artists-they-had-a-theater-company-in-the-bay/) [Brigette Lundy-Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigette-lundy-paine/) > [My parents are artists; in their world, in the world of modern artists, you are supposed to just go into your studio and tune…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/my-parents-are-artists-in-their-world-in-the-world-of-modern-artists/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [With my childhood and growing up in a very free place where my parents were artists and always encouraging me to explore, you wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-potter/with-my-childhood-and-growing-up-in-a-very-free-place-where-my/) [Grace Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-potter/) > [My parents are artists and have always instilled great pride in understanding of various backgrounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-elsesser/my-parents-are-artists-and-have-always-instilled-great-pride-in/) [Paloma Elsesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-elsesser/) > [Both my parents are artists, so that just makes me look at everything slightly different. I listened to different music; I dressed differently. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-momoa/both-my-parents-are-artists-so-that-just-makes-me-look-at-everything/) [Jason Momoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-momoa/) > [Most of the photographs people take with their cameraphones are of little value in terms of documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/most-of-the-photographs-people-take-with-their-cameraphones-are-of/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) ## More by Justine Kurland > [If I stage things too much and nothing changes in the act of photographing, then I might as well have not taken the picture:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-kurland/if-i-stage-things-too-much-and-nothing-changes-in-the-act-of/) [Justine Kurland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-kurland/) > [It seemed clear to me early on that one of the things a photograph could do was make a reality, and I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-kurland/it-seemed-clear-to-me-early-on-that-one-of-the-things-a-photograph/) [Justine Kurland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-kurland/) > [The naked figures in the landscape have willingly undressed for my camera. 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I'm not the kind of a photographer who can photograph my home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-kurland/there-s-this-way-that-photography-is-always-about-going-out-searching/) [Justine Kurland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-kurland/) [Explore all 8 Justine Kurland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-kurland/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We were really poor when I was growing up; my parents, both artists, were bohemians. 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