--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm an artist by trade and an author by…" description: "\"I'm an artist by trade and an author by necessity.\" — Kadir Nelson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/kadir-nelson-41157_art_i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by_1711945.jpg" --- # I'm an artist by trade and an author by necessity. ![“I'm an artist by trade and an author by necessity.” quote by Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/kadir-nelson-41157_art_i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by_1711945.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/kadir-nelson-41157_art_i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by_1711945.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/kadir-nelson-41157_art_i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by_1711945.jpg) > “I'm an artist by trade and an author by necessity.” [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing creative professions, he sees art as a trade and writing as a necessity. **In simple terms:** Artist by trade, author by necessity. Key Takeaway Embrace multiple creative roles. Themes creativity identity purpose Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - gallery exhibitions - publishing a - teaching workshops - personal branding Key Concepts multidisciplinary self‑definition Questions to Reflect On - How do you prioritize projects? - What drives you to write? A Different Perspective May dilute focus if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/author/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Necessity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessity/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) ## Related quotes > [I am an artist, I trade in uncertainty and superstition and cant. I invent dark visions of impossible situations that can never be resolved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-steadman/i-am-an-artist-i-trade-in-uncertainty-and-superstition-and-cant-i/) [Ralph Steadman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-steadman/) > [Necessity is the author of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hansel/necessity-is-the-author-of-change/) [Tim Hansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hansel/) > [I think that this necessity to travel, to see, it's part of human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-perez/i-think-that-this-necessity-to-travel-to-see-it-s-part-of-human-nature/) [Fernando Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-perez/) > [The things I do outside of playing the piano are done out of an inner necessity, not just because I want to try my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/the-things-i-do-outside-of-playing-the-piano-are-done-out-of-an-inner/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [“The value of a sacrifice lies in its necessity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/the-value-of-a-sacrifice-lies-in-its-necessity/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [It is a misfortune that necessity has induced men to accord greater license to this formidable engine, in order to obtain liberty, than can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/it-is-a-misfortune-that-necessity-has-induced-men-to-accord-greater/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [And the commencement of atonement is the sense of its necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/and-the-commencement-of-atonement-is-the-sense-of-its-necessity/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [Pardon is granted to necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/pardon-is-granted-to-necessity/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [He who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exemplify the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-gregory-i/he-who-is-required-by-the-necessity-of-his-position-to-speak-the/) [Pope Gregory I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-gregory-i/) > [Causes of Civil War are also, that the Wealth of the Nation is in too few mens hands, and that no certain means are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-petty/causes-of-civil-war-are-also-that-the-wealth-of-the-nation-is-in-too/) [William Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-petty/) > [Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate. A plurality (of reasons) should not be posited without necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/pluralitas-non-est-ponenda-sine-necessitate-a-plurality-of-reasons/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salmon-p-chase/and-upon-this-act-sincerely-believed-to-be-an-act-of-justice/) [Salmon P. Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salmon-p-chase/) > [“We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time—inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-could-not-be-fulfilled-if-we-weren-t-inauthentic-some-of-the-time/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [pragmatist that I am, I always meet necessity with enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/pragmatist-that-i-am-i-always-meet-necessity-with-enthusiasm/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [Being of service is not an option, it is a biological necessity. Every kind of action we do for someone is a reanimation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/being-of-service-is-not-an-option-it-is-a-biological-necessity-every/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) ## More by Kadir Nelson > [Be present in your work because kids live in the moment, so as soon as you're not in the present, you're not being authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/be-present-in-your-work-because-kids-live-in-the-moment-so-as-soon-as/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) > [What's important about the artists we learn about in art history and see in all the art books is that they have somehow pushed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/what-s-important-about-the-artists-we-learn-about-in-art-history-and/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) > [For me, each book is kind of like a silent film. If you were to remove the words and just look at the pictures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/for-me-each-book-is-kind-of-like-a-silent-film-if-you-were-to-remove/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) > [My uncle, who's an art teacher, took me under his wing and gave me a really strong foundation in art. I spent summers with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/my-uncle-who-s-an-art-teacher-took-me-under-his-wing-and-gave-me-a/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) > [As a kid, I drew cartoon characters and comic book heroes. Spiderman and the X-Men were my favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/as-a-kid-i-drew-cartoon-characters-and-comic-book-heroes-spiderman/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) > [When I look at American history and I look at what history means to me, I look at it as if it were a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/when-i-look-at-american-history-and-i-look-at-what-history-means-to/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) > [My purpose is to create a mirror for the reader to see themselves, to create a light for people to see themselves in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/my-purpose-is-to-create-a-mirror-for-the-reader-to-see-themselves-to/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) > [Much of the message that I try to put across to students is that they have to figure out what they really like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/much-of-the-message-that-i-try-to-put-across-to-students-is-that-they/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) > [I think it's important to have confidence, but then it's also important to try to try something new, to leave your comfort zone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/i-think-it-s-important-to-have-confidence-but-then-it-s-also/) [Kadir Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) [Explore all 10 Kadir Nelson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/) ## 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. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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": "I'm an artist by trade and an author by necessity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kadir Nelson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by-necessity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by-necessity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/kadir-nelson-41157_art_i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by_1711945.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/kadir-nelson-41157_art_i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by_1711945.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/kadir-nelson-41157_art_i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by_1711945.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm an artist by trade and an author by necessity.” — Kadir Nelson", "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": "Kadir Nelson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadir-nelson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm an artist by trade and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by-necessity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadir-nelson/i-m-an-artist-by-trade-and-an-author-by-necessity/#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 } } ] } ```