--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To make an artwork good enough to enter…" description: "\"To make an artwork good enough to enter people's hearts is like what ancient Chinese called 'making stone into gold.' It is alchemy.\" — Li Shan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/802/li-shan-87188_alchemy_to-make-an-artwork-good-enough-to-enter_249942.jpg" --- # To make an artwork good enough to enter people's hearts is… ![“To make an artwork good enough to enter people's hearts is like what ancient Chinese called 'making stone into gold.' It is alchemy.” quote by Li Shan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/802/li-shan-87188_alchemy_to-make-an-artwork-good-enough-to-enter_249942.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/802/li-shan-87188_alchemy_to-make-an-artwork-good-enough-to-enter_249942.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/802/li-shan-87188_alchemy_to-make-an-artwork-good-enough-to-enter_249942.jpg) > “To make an artwork good enough to enter people's hearts is like what ancient Chinese called 'making stone into gold.' It is alchemy.” [Li Shan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-shan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compares creating emotionally resonant art to alchemy, turning ordinary into precious. **In simple terms:** Art transforms the ordinary into something precious. Key Takeaway Seek to create emotionally resonant art Themes alchemy creativity Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - visual arts - writing - music composition Key Concepts aesthetic theory emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can you make your art more universally relatable? - What personal experiences can you alchemy into art? A Different Perspective Art may not always reach all audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alchemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alchemy/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-chinese/) [Artwork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artwork/) [Artwork Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artwork-good-2489413/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Gold Alchemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold-alchemy-2489412/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Make Artwork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-artwork-2489415/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stone Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stone-gold-2489414/) [Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones/) ## Related quotes > [If what you want to do is make artwork for bands, you have to love doing it because there is almost no money in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/if-what-you-want-to-do-is-make-artwork-for-bands-you-have-to-love/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [To the illumined man or woman,a clod of dust,a stone,and gold are the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gita/to-the-illumined-man-or-woman-a-clod-of-dust-a-stone-and-gold-are-the/) [Gita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gita/) > [“Our first kiss was there on the bridge in the woods. 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Ancient Chinese saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/when-the-snipe-and-the-mussel-struggle-the-fisherman-gets-the-benefit/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“Laozi was an ancient Chinese philosopher. According to Chinese tradition, Laozi lived in the 6th century BC, however many historians contend that Laozi”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/laozi-was-an-ancient-chinese-philosopher-according-to-chinese/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [There is an ancient Chinese myth about the thread of fate. It says the gods have tied a red thread around every one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/touch/there-is-an-ancient-chinese-myth-about-the-thread-of-fate-it-says-the/) [Touch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/touch/) > [Artificial creatures date back to the ancient Chinese and Greeks. Renaissance automata were designed primarily to entertain, reflecting the value placed on leisure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-goldberg/artificial-creatures-date-back-to-the-ancient-chinese-and-greeks/) [Ken Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-goldberg/) > [My dad is amazing. He has, like, ancient Chinese skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/my-dad-is-amazing-he-has-like-ancient-chinese-skills/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [Ancient Chinese custom if you were a guest in one of their homes and you admired some particular thing, they would wrap it up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/ancient-chinese-custom-if-you-were-a-guest-in-one-of-their-homes-and/) [Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/) > [I've read that the ancient Chinese art of feng shui can bring a sense of peace, well-being, and positive energy to a home -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/i-ve-read-that-the-ancient-chinese-art-of-feng-shui-can-bring-a-sense/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [I like the fact that in ancient Chinese art the great painters always included a deliberate flaw in their work: human creation is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-like-the-fact-that-in-ancient-chinese-art-the-great-painters-always/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“At a more serious level, the desirability of aligning our actions with the more powerful laws of nature, society, and psychology, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-m-christensen/at-a-more-serious-level-the-desirability-of-aligning-our-actions-with/) [Clayton M. Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-m-christensen/) ## More by Li Shan > [Art that has depth makes a strong impact on the spirit, emotion, mood and thoughts of a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-shan/art-that-has-depth-makes-a-strong-impact-on-the-spirit-emotion-mood/) [Li Shan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-shan/) > [Art must not stop at the level of pleasing eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-shan/art-must-not-stop-at-the-level-of-pleasing-eyes/) [Li Shan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-shan/) [Explore all 3 Li Shan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-shan/) ## More Alchemy quotes > [“I went because I was interested in the alchemy of issues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-went-because-i-was-interested-in-the-alchemy-of-issues/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“...the world is only the visible aspect of God. And that what alchemy does is to bring spiritual perfection into contact with the material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-is-only-the-visible-aspect-of-god-and-that-what-alchemy/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Art is Alchemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-nicolai/art-is-alchemy/) [ELLE NICOLAI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-nicolai/) > [“You must learn to bend to open windows, my friend. That is why artists and dancers are closest to God. They clench their chests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/you-must-learn-to-bend-to-open-windows-my-friend-that-is-why-artists/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Every human being has gone through a tragedy of sorts. And the idea is that you have two paths you can take, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-michaels/every-human-being-has-gone-through-a-tragedy-of-sorts-and-the-idea-is/) [Jillian Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-michaels/) > [“Introspection does not need to be a still life. It can be an active alchemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/introspection-does-not-need-to-be-a-still-life-it-can-be-an-active/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [ Everybody can close their eyes, picture a dream house or a perfect place \[where\] they'd like to have a picnic. But actually creating it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/everybody-can-close-their-eyes-picture-a-dream-house-or-a-perfect/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [“She pushed the book towards them, and Harry and Ron read: The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/she-pushed-the-book-towards-them-and-harry-and-ron-read-the-ancient/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [For I am every dead thing In whom love wrought new alchemy For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/for-i-am-every-dead-thing-in-whom-love-wrought-new-alchemy-for-his/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Arya Maloney updates the basis and practice of transpersonal psychology by using the spiritual principles of India's masters and the transformational alchemy inherent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-mindell/arya-maloney-updates-the-basis-and-practice-of-transpersonal/) [Arnold Mindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-mindell/) > [“To follow our bliss and dive deeply into the mysteries of fragrance, color, and taste; blend with the magnificent diversity of mother nature; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prana-gogia/to-follow-our-bliss-and-dive-deeply-into-the-mysteries-of-fragrance/) [Prana Gogia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prana-gogia/) > [ I want to explain the new alchemy \[in the "From Earth, Air, Fire, and Water to a New Vision of Mind and Time"\], which… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/i-want-to-explain-the-new-alchemy-in-the-from-earth-air-fire-and/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) > [We swung over the hills and over the town and back again, and I saw how a man can be master of a craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/we-swung-over-the-hills-and-over-the-town-and-back-again-and-i-saw/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We find that alchemy has to do with magicians or magic and may even have roots in the Chaldean people who lived in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/we-find-that-alchemy-has-to-do-with-magicians-or-magic-and-may-even/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) [Browse all 349 Alchemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alchemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To make an artwork good enough to enter people's hearts is like what ancient Chinese called 'making stone into gold.' 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