--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Doing things the way you see it, going by…" description: "\"Doing things the way you see it, going by your own heart and soul, that is pure artistic integrity. Whatever the hair is six or sixty inches long, the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/lars-ulrich-16611_art_doing-things-the-way-you-see-it-going-by_1402533.jpg" --- # Doing things the way you see it, going by your own heart… ![“Doing things the way you see it, going by your own heart and soul, that is pure artistic integrity. Whatever the hair is six or sixty inches long, the eyes have make-up or not, the riffs are in 'E' or 'F' sharp, the amps are Marshall or not, all those things don't matter if you are doing it for…” quote by Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/lars-ulrich-16611_art_doing-things-the-way-you-see-it-going-by_1402533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/lars-ulrich-16611_art_doing-things-the-way-you-see-it-going-by_1402533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/lars-ulrich-16611_art_doing-things-the-way-you-see-it-going-by_1402533.jpg) > “Doing things the way you see it, going by your own heart and soul, that is pure artistic integrity. Whatever the hair is six or sixty inches long, the eyes have make-up or not, the riffs are in 'E' or 'F' sharp, the amps are Marshall or not, all those things don't matter if you are doing it for the right reason, which to me means doing it for yourself!” [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True artistic integrity means creating for oneself, regardless of external standards or trends. **In simple terms:** Make art for yourself, not for others' approval. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal authenticity in creative endeavors. Themes authenticity creativity self‑expression Mood passionate determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - music composition - visual art - writing - performance Key Concepts artistic integrity personal motivation creative freedom Questions to Reflect On - Why do you create art? - How does self‑expression affect your confidence? A Different Perspective Risk of isolation or commercial failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) [Artistic integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-integrity/) [Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart and soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-and-soul/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [You can have information and ease of use and have artistic integrity at the same time. The art of being a good Web designer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-davidson/you-can-have-information-and-ease-of-use-and-have-artistic-integrity/) [Mike Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-davidson/) > [Put crudely, one is left with a choice between two unsatisfactory combinations: artistic integrity married to spiritual compromise; and spiritual integrity married to artistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-walford/put-crudely-one-is-left-with-a-choice-between-two-unsatisfactory/) [John Walford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-walford/) > [“But it would have made me a whore to leave it incomplete. It would have made it easier to leave future work incomplete. 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Robinson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-fairbanks-jr/i-will-never-forget-the-pleasure-and-instruction-i-derived-from/) [Douglas Fairbanks, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-fairbanks-jr/) > [Anyone who thinks Peter Jackson would fall for market forces around him rather than artistic integrity doesn't know the guy or the body of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/anyone-who-thinks-peter-jackson-would-fall-for-market-forces-around/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I became a loner. I became a mountain man. A lot of those things are very good qualities and they help you do your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milius/i-became-a-loner-i-became-a-mountain-man-a-lot-of-those-things-are/) [John Milius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milius/) > [In the commercial theater, I've been pretty fortunate. The producers that I've worked with have allowed me to define the artistic integrity, the artistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/in-the-commercial-theater-i-ve-been-pretty-fortunate-the-producers/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [“Just remember, this is a collaborative effort. We don't have time for creative differences or outbreaks of artistic integrity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-cox/just-remember-this-is-a-collaborative-effort-we-don-t-have-time-for/) [Greg Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-cox/) > [It always felt like you were trying too hard to look like the audience or something. That whole thing about the artistic integrity, which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/it-always-felt-like-you-were-trying-too-hard-to-look-like-the/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [There is nothing harder for an Artist than to retain his Artistic integrity in the tomb of success. A tomb, nevertheless, which nearly every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-thomas/there-is-nothing-harder-for-an-artist-than-to-retain-his-artistic/) [Caitlin Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-thomas/) > [I'm not going to compromise my artistic integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-m-not-going-to-compromise-my-artistic-integrity/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [We got full artistic integrity and autonomy over what we were doing, and that was the main important thing that kept our band alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-carey/we-got-full-artistic-integrity-and-autonomy-over-what-we-were-doing/) [Danny Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-carey/) > [“Artistic integrity is not a guest whom one may choose not to invite to a gala. She must be the first you invite, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-dorst/artistic-integrity-is-not-a-guest-whom-one-may-choose-not-to-invite/) [Doug Dorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-dorst/) > [I've been around a long time, and when I was at the top of the hill, I was very ahead of my time! Evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hayes/i-ve-been-around-a-long-time-and-when-i-was-at-the-top-of-the-hill-i/) [Isaac Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hayes/) ## More by Lars Ulrich > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [Metallica mythos...distilled the essences of the comic books and horror movies and the fantastic literature of metal itself...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-mythos-distilled-the-essences-of-the-comic-books-and-horror/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [I think you have to sort of accept that nobody really knows where it's going so there has to be a lot of impulsive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/i-think-you-have-to-sort-of-accept-that-nobody-really-knows-where-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [Our music comes from our hearts - and it always has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/our-music-comes-from-our-hearts-and-it-always-has/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [I would say that I'm very proud that Metallica plays heavy music - but equally proud that we don't think like a heavy-metal band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/i-would-say-that-i-m-very-proud-that-metallica-plays-heavy-music-but/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [This isn't about fans, greed or money. It's about being morally right or wrong. Nobody is governing the way music gets from artists to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/this-isn-t-about-fans-greed-or-money-it-s-about-being-morally-right/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [As the world gets smaller and communication spreads further and further out there, you try to find the right balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/as-the-world-gets-smaller-and-communication-spreads-further-and/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [What's the message in Metallica? There is no message, but if there was a message, it really should be look within yourself, don't listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/what-s-the-message-in-metallica-there-is-no-message-but-if-there-was/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [Back then, I was really into composing the entire solo, beginning to end. I wanted to have it at least 80 to 90 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/back-then-i-was-really-into-composing-the-entire-solo-beginning-to/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [We formed this band when we were 18-19, we couldn't play... We were just like 'Let's get together and play some cover songs, drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/we-formed-this-band-when-we-were-18-19-we-couldn-t-play-we-were-just/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [What Metallica always tries to do, as we go around and play a lot of the same cities, over and over again, year after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/what-metallica-always-tries-to-do-as-we-go-around-and-play-a-lot-of/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [Napster hijacked our music without asking. They never sought our permission. Our catalog of music simply became available as free downloads on the Napster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/napster-hijacked-our-music-without-asking-they-never-sought-our/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [Whenever I buy a painting, someone invariably says, "Oh, what a great investment." And I hate that reaction. To me, it's a matter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/whenever-i-buy-a-painting-someone-invariably-says-oh-what-a-great/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [Some people try and tell you what the songs are about and it bores me to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/some-people-try-and-tell-you-what-the-songs-are-about-and-it-bores-me/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [The day Metallica's over, i'm not going to put an ad looking for another band. I'll put my drumsticks on the shelf and there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/the-day-metallica-s-over-i-m-not-going-to-put-an-ad-looking-for/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) [Explore all 39 Lars Ulrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) ## 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. 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