--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My work life makes much less sense now…" description: "\"My work life makes much less sense now than 20 years ago. It's Humpty-Dumpty-like in a way; I can't put the pieces back together.\" — Kiki Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/kiki-smith-10643_back-together_my-work-life-makes-much-less-sense-now-t_983111.jpg" --- # My work life makes much less sense now than 20 years ago… ![“My work life makes much less sense now than 20 years ago. It's Humpty-Dumpty-like in a way; I can't put the pieces back together.” quote by Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/kiki-smith-10643_back-together_my-work-life-makes-much-less-sense-now-t_983111.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/kiki-smith-10643_back-together_my-work-life-makes-much-less-sense-now-t_983111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/kiki-smith-10643_back-together_my-work-life-makes-much-less-sense-now-t_983111.jpg) > “My work life makes much less sense now than 20 years ago. It's Humpty-Dumpty-like in a way; I can't put the pieces back together.” [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Her work feels fragmented and hard to reconstruct. **In simple terms:** Her work feels broken and unrecoverable. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection, find new forms. Themes art identity fragmentation Mood melancholic thoughtful Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - creative process - therapy - exhibition planning Key Concepts postmodernism self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does the brokenness symbolize? - How can you rebuild creatively? A Different Perspective Some may view fragmentation as failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humpty dumpty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humpty-dumpty/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-life/) ## Related quotes > [“And finally, I've always drawn a great deal of moral comfort from Humpty Dumpty. The part I like the best? 'All the king's horses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/and-finally-i-ve-always-drawn-a-great-deal-of-moral-comfort-from/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [You have a diasporic black world, and the only way to put it back together again is symbolic. It's like Humpty Dumpty. Whoever could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/you-have-a-diasporic-black-world-and-the-only-way-to-put-it-back/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [We are like Humpty Dumpty and all these king's horses and all these king's men cannot put us back together again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/we-are-like-humpty-dumpty-and-all-these-king-s-horses-and-all-these/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) > [Ozzy wanted to get us back together. It's been 20 years. We did a couple of songs during his farewell in 1992 and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geezer-butler/ozzy-wanted-to-get-us-back-together-it-s-been-20-years-we-did-a/) [Geezer Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geezer-butler/) > [Sometimes your personal life is much more significant. Sometimes your work life is more significant. Friends and family, or sometimes the general population, take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/sometimes-your-personal-life-is-much-more-significant-sometimes-your/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [I stared hard, trying to find a pattern. Thinking if I kept looking hard enough, maybe the pieces of the world would fit back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-hard-trying-to-find-a-pattern-thinking-if-i-kept-looking/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [With what you were talking about before. The world being broken. Maybe it isn't that we're supposed to find the pieces and put them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/with-what-you-were-talking-about-before-the-world-being-broken-maybe/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [(T)he world is broken up into pieces, and...it's up to everyone to help put it all back together. It's about recognizing the spark of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/t-he-world-is-broken-up-into-pieces-and-it-s-up-to-everyone-to-help/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > ['When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/when-i-use-a-word-humpty-dumpty-said-in-rather-a-scornful-tone-it/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [Dear Humpty Dumpty, you are not the only one who falls and breaks into pieces. Sincerely, The Heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zariahh-renee/dear-humpty-dumpty-you-are-not-the-only-one-who-falls-and-breaks-into/) [Zariahh Renee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zariahh-renee/) > [“When I should have been producing obscure volumes of verse entitled the Triumph of Humpty Dumpty or the Nose with the Luminous Dong! Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-lowry/when-i-should-have-been-producing-obscure-volumes-of-verse-entitled/) [Malcolm Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-lowry/) > [“You know, the cure for all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government. You get that alternative and you'll never put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/you-know-the-cure-for-all-this-talk-is-really-a-good-dose-of/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [That's where Humpty Dumpty went lolz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-hartman/that-s-where-humpty-dumpty-went-lolz/) [Celeste Hartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-hartman/) > [Jack and Jill went up the hill and did it in the water Jack slipped His condom ripped and they ended up having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/broken-soul/jack-and-jill-went-up-the-hill-and-did-it-in-the-water-jack-slipped/) [Broken Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/broken-soul/) ## More by Kiki Smith > [ It was a very economically depressed time \[the 80s\] and because of that, there was a lot of space. Everything was relatively dilapidated, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/it-was-a-very-economically-depressed-time-the-80s-and-because-of-that/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [I first had no interest in figuration whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/i-first-had-no-interest-in-figuration-whatsoever/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [I got into animals by drawing hair follicles. I liked drawing hair, and from that I got into feathers and fur, then into images…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/i-got-into-animals-by-drawing-hair-follicles-i-liked-drawing-hair-and/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [Artists live in unknown spaces and give themselves over to following something unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/artists-live-in-unknown-spaces-and-give-themselves-over-to-following/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [We as beings are very contradictory, complicated creatures that work in our best interest and against our best interest. In a certain way, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/we-as-beings-are-very-contradictory-complicated-creatures-that-work/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [I think that sense of always traveling has something to do with anonymity and privacy and pleasure in having a very clear, very reductive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/i-think-that-sense-of-always-traveling-has-something-to-do-with/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [Art is a reflection of everything that impacts your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/art-is-a-reflection-of-everything-that-impacts-your-life/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [I didn't start to be an artist myself until I was 24.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/i-didn-t-start-to-be-an-artist-myself-until-i-was-24/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [When you get older, you're running out of time. You care more about trying to stay on the planet a little longer, so you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/when-you-get-older-you-re-running-out-of-time-you-care-more-about/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [You start with a generic body, but I think the first wall you hit with portraiture is comprised of history and storytelling and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/you-start-with-a-generic-body-but-i-think-the-first-wall-you-hit-with/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [I'm not moving from an ideological standpoint. Sometimes I'm trying to make my life better. Sometimes I'm trying to make my life worse! I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/i-m-not-moving-from-an-ideological-standpoint-sometimes-i-m-trying-to/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [Prints mimic what we are as humans: we are all the same and yet every one is different. I think there's a spiritual power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/prints-mimic-what-we-are-as-humans-we-are-all-the-same-and-yet-every/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [I think that objects have memories. I’m always thinking that I’ll go to the museum and see something and have a big memory about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/i-think-that-objects-have-memories-i-m-always-thinking-that-i-ll-go/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [Sometimes your personal life is much more significant. Sometimes your work life is more significant. Friends and family, or sometimes the general population, take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/sometimes-your-personal-life-is-much-more-significant-sometimes-your/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [Making art is a lot about just seeing what happens if you put some energy into something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/making-art-is-a-lot-about-just-seeing-what-happens-if-you-put-some/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) [Explore all 64 Kiki Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) ## More Back together quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [Everybody was on the same page. 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They still think that the old central state is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-w-galbraith/there-are-people-who-haven-t-faced-the-reality-of-what-has-gone-on-in/) Peter W. Galbraith > [It's really weird to be in more than one franchise because an actor's life is so nomadic, and so it's a real privilege to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/it-s-really-weird-to-be-in-more-than-one-franchise-because-an-actor-s/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [You can usually tell when a couple becomes centered on each other because they are forever breaking up and getting back together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-covey/you-can-usually-tell-when-a-couple-becomes-centered-on-each-other/) [Sean Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-covey/) > [It's a gamble. A band like Kiss, a lot of those are our audience but we don't do as much make-up. Alice would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-a-gamble-a-band-like-kiss-a-lot-of-those-are-our-audience-but-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For the world is broken, sundered, busted down the middle, self ripped from self and man pasted back together as mythical monster, half angel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-percy/for-the-world-is-broken-sundered-busted-down-the-middle-self-ripped/) [Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-percy/) > [I stared hard, trying to find a pattern. Thinking if I kept looking hard enough, maybe the pieces of the world would fit back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-hard-trying-to-find-a-pattern-thinking-if-i-kept-looking/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [ \[In Bolivia\] We want to overcome our historical problems with Chile. 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