--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art is long. Life is short, but it…" description: "\"“Art is long. Life is short, but it deserves our attentive devotion. Embrace life. No person has a monopoly on wisdom. Despite the plethora of written ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_art_art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserve_1917048.jpg" --- # Art is long. Life is short, but it deserves our attentive… ![“Art is long. Life is short, but it deserves our attentive devotion. Embrace life. No person has a monopoly on wisdom. Despite the plethora of written books and e-books covering virtually every imaginable subject, advances in human knowledge and changes in the physical environment will cause…” quote by Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_art_art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserve_1917048.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_art_art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserve_1917048.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_art_art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserve_1917048.jpg) > ““Art is long. Life is short, but it deserves our attentive devotion. Embrace life. No person has a monopoly on wisdom. Despite the plethora of written books and e-books covering virtually every imaginable subject, advances in human knowledge and changes in the physical environment will cause recurrent alterations in the human condition that writers are uniquely able to express, explain, explicate, and elucidate. The complexities of human life demand humanistic persons to explore and offer guidance and solace to troubled souls. The world is not in the need of any more corporate entities devoted to milling money. What the world needs is writers, singers, poets, and philosophers whom can expand upon the universal desire to display an intense and absorbing respect for life and honor the principles of truthfulness and charity in human relations. I wish for every person to cull the lyrical prose from their stroll in the meadow of life and express the vivacity of their inner daemon in whatever artistic methodology stirs their imagination and voices their uniqueness. I call upon each person to use logic, intuition, and imagination to share all their adventures in this world of rocks and stones, earth and sky, sunshine and rain. Splash it out there for everyone to witness your appreciativeness of nature’s glory, verification of your meaningful existence demands that you settle for nothing less.”” [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human creativity and thoughtful expression are essential for navigating life's fleeting nature and evolving challenges, offering truth, charity, and meaning. **In simple terms:** Art and reflection give purpose to short lives. Key Takeaway Cultivate and share your unique creative voice. Themes creativity humanism meaning truth charity Mood inspired reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal journaling - public speaking - visual arts - music composition - poetry writing Key Concepts philosophy artistic expression existential reflection Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate logic, intuition, and imagination in daily life? - What role does art play in confronting societal issues? A Different Perspective Without community support, artistic pursuits may feel isolated or undervalued. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciativeness Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciativeness-nature-2921036/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artistic expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-expression/) [Artistic-endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-endeavor/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Demand Humanistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand-humanistic-2921037/) [Earth and sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-and-sky/) [Embrace life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embrace-life/) [Essayist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essayist/) [Human condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-condition/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Human relations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-relations/) [Humanistic Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanistic-persons-2921035/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-short/) [Life Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-person/) [Long life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-life/) [Memoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Respect For Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-for-life/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Writers-on-writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-on-writing/) [Writers-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-quotes/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-life/) [Writing-memoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-memoir/) ## Related quotes > [“All forms of art must contribute to the discursive dialogue regarding the composition of the malleable human condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-forms-of-art-must-contribute-to-the-discursive-dialogue-regarding/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“We do not use writing exclusively to attain perspective upon our self-referential human existence. We dedicate our essayistic existence to witnessing the variegated acts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/we-do-not-use-writing-exclusively-to-attain-perspective-upon-our-self/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Every act of art is a good faith attempt to arrest time – the motion of life – and make contact with other human beings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/every-act-of-art-is-a-good-faith-attempt-to-arrest-time-the-motion-of/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Witnessing the panoply of beauty in all of nature takes us out of our shell of self-absorption and makes us realize that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/witnessing-the-panoply-of-beauty-in-all-of-nature-takes-us-out-of-our/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“An author’s operating charter is to unearth embedded symbols that reflect complementary and inconsistent relationships of our collective assemblage, combine harmonizing and contradictory conceptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/an-author-s-operating-charter-is-to-unearth-embedded-symbols-that/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The philosophical study of beauty, art, and the splendor of nature nurtures a person’s fertile mind by exposing a person to the puzzling world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-philosophical-study-of-beauty-art-and-the-splendor-of-nature/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“An artistic person taps into the destructive emotional energy of guilt and shame and the longing to love and be loveable and transforms these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/an-artistic-person-taps-into-the-destructive-emotional-energy-of/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Storytelling gives form to the metal dialogue of the mind and in doing so, reveals our self-fiction. Memory and imagination fills part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-gives-form-to-the-metal-dialogue-of-the-mind-and-in/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“All writers are demonic dreamers. Writing is an act of sharing experiences and offering of an individualistic perspective of our private attitudes pertaining to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-writers-are-demonic-dreamers-writing-is-an-act-of-sharing/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Memory and imagination allow us to enter the womb of creation, devise the lens through which we translate our surroundings, and create the spectrum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/memory-and-imagination-allow-us-to-enter-the-womb-of-creation-devise/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“All forms of writing are an act of conception; writing must lead to creation. Each time that we write, we begin again. Writing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-forms-of-writing-are-an-act-of-conception-writing-must-lead-to/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“All experiences change us and personal writing is one of the most powerful agencies of change. The person who wrote these personal essays no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-experiences-change-us-and-personal-writing-is-one-of-the-most/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The writer’s obsessions are twofold. First, communicate their thoughts onto paper with a great degree of precision in order accurately to express everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-writer-s-obsessions-are-twofold-first-communicate-their-thoughts/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Attempting to express a person’s objective reality and subjective state of mind with the written word is an endless task because writing alters our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/attempting-to-express-a-person-s-objective-reality-and-subjective/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A person writes similar to how a blind person uses brail. We grope along the palpable corridors of the mind’s organic texture to locate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-writes-similar-to-how-a-blind-person-uses-brail-we-grope/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) ## More by Kilroy J. Oldster > [“Disharmony at home or work is toxic to a person’s physical disposition and mental health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/disharmony-at-home-or-work-is-toxic-to-a-person-s-physical/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The emotional ingredients that sustain long-term relationships are kindness, thoughtfulness, and compassion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-emotional-ingredients-that-sustain-long-term-relationships-are/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Personal disillusionment accompanied by self-pity and self-loathing are the Achilles’ heel of modern humankind, representing the weakness of the human spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/personal-disillusionment-accompanied-by-self-pity-and-self-loathing/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“We nurture our own being by respecting all people and consciously working to mitigate the pain of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/we-nurture-our-own-being-by-respecting-all-people-and-consciously/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Life is a collection of memories and feelings. Mawkish sentimentally urges us to engage in artistic overtures, we yearn to share with other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/life-is-a-collection-of-memories-and-feelings-mawkish-sentimentally/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Time is inexplicable because it moves – clicks away – at steady increments, while increasing the past and bringing the future into the present.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/time-is-inexplicable-because-it-moves-clicks-away-at-steady/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Each of us, along with our ancestors, inhabits the same cosmos. When we tell stories, we enter the stream of human consciousness; we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/each-of-us-along-with-our-ancestors-inhabits-the-same-cosmos-when-we/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A period of darkness is essential in order to expand personal awareness. Experiencing sadness and loss makes a person appreciative of life, more tenderhearted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-period-of-darkness-is-essential-in-order-to-expand-personal/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A person writes similar to how a blind person uses brail. We grope along the palpable corridors of the mind’s organic texture to locate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-writes-similar-to-how-a-blind-person-uses-brail-we-grope/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“People frequently ask me why I work so hard - prolong hours, infrequent vacations, and never calling in sick or missing work for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/people-frequently-ask-me-why-i-work-so-hard-prolong-hours-infrequent/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The ego is the culmination of our preferences and dislikes. Our ego represents the firm edges of how we perceive ourselves. An ego death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-ego-is-the-culmination-of-our-preferences-and-dislikes-our-ego/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Witnessing the moonrise each month, a person cannot resist noting a modest sense of optimism tugging at his or her enclosed capsule of bodily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/witnessing-the-moonrise-each-month-a-person-cannot-resist-noting-a/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Attempting to express a person’s objective reality and subjective state of mind with the written word is an endless task because writing alters our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/attempting-to-express-a-person-s-objective-reality-and-subjective/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A person can hurry through or sleep walk through life, but whenever they stop to catch their breath or awaken from a long nap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-can-hurry-through-or-sleep-walk-through-life-but-whenever/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“It is up to each one of us to immunize ourselves from any disabling bolts of anger and defend ourselves from the thunderstorms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/it-is-up-to-each-one-of-us-to-immunize-ourselves-from-any-disabling/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) [Explore all 302 Kilroy J. Oldster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "“Art is long. Life is short, but it deserves our attentive devotion. Embrace life. No person has a monopoly on wisdom. Despite the plethora of written books and e-books covering virtually every imaginable subject, advances in human knowledge and changes in the physical environment will cause recurrent alterations in the human condition that writers are uniquely able to express, explain, explicate, and elucidate. The complexities of human life demand humanistic persons to explore and offer guidance and solace to troubled souls. The world is not in the need of any more corporate entities devoted to milling money. What the world needs is writers, singers, poets, and philosophers whom can expand upon the universal desire to display an intense and absorbing respect for life and honor the principles of truthfulness and charity in human relations. I wish for every person to cull the lyrical prose from their stroll in the meadow of life and express the vivacity of their inner daemon in whatever artistic methodology stirs their imagination and voices their uniqueness. I call upon each person to use logic, intuition, and imagination to share all their adventures in this world of rocks and stones, earth and sky, sunshine and rain. Splash it out there for everyone to witness your appreciativeness of nature’s glory, verification of your meaningful existence demands that you settle for nothing less.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kilroy J. Oldster" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserves-our-attentive-devotion/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserves-our-attentive-devotion/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_art_art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserve_1917048.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_art_art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserve_1917048.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e94/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_art_art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserve_1917048.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Art is long. Life is short, but it deserves our attentive devotion. Embrace life. No person has a monopoly…” — Kilroy J. Oldster", "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": "Kilroy J. Oldster", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Art is long. Life is short,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserves-our-attentive-devotion/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/art-is-long-life-is-short-but-it-deserves-our-attentive-devotion/#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 } } ] } ```