--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think his paintings are cathartic for…" description: "\"“I think his paintings are cathartic for him,” she said. “After you experience trauma that deep, you need to do something to heal. Something to make me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e2/liz-murray-11321_artist_i-think-his-paintings-are-cathartic-for_285872.png" --- # I think his paintings are cathartic for him,” she said… ![“I think his paintings are cathartic for him,” she said. “After you experience trauma that deep, you need to do something to heal. Something to make meaning out of all the loss.” quote by Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e2/liz-murray-11321_artist_i-think-his-paintings-are-cathartic-for_285872.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e2/liz-murray-11321_artist_i-think-his-paintings-are-cathartic-for_285872.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e2/liz-murray-11321_artist_i-think-his-paintings-are-cathartic-for_285872.png) > ““I think his paintings are cathartic for him,” she said. “After you experience trauma that deep, you need to do something to heal. Something to make meaning out of all the loss.”” [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deep trauma often drives people to seek healing through creative expression, turning pain into purpose. **In simple terms:** Trauma can be healed by creating meaning. Key Takeaway Channel pain into creative outlets. Themes healing creativity meaning-making Mood reflective hopeful Type therapeutic inspirational When to use this quote - personal recovery - counseling - support groups - writing - painting Key Concepts post‑traumatic growth art therapy Questions to Reflect On - What creative activity helps you process loss? - How can you balance expression with professional support? A Different Perspective Creative expression may not fully resolve underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think my paintings are self-conscious but you feel the consciousness of them. Without them being self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-think-my-paintings-are-self-conscious-but-you-feel-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [We're painting the same people all our life - it's just the way we look at them that changes. If you experience trauma, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-boltanski/we-re-painting-the-same-people-all-our-life-it-s-just-the-way-we-look/) [Christian Boltanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-boltanski/) > [“Essentially all serial offenders experience trauma in childhood that leaves them unable to form normal emotional and psychological connections with other humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-schaffhausen/essentially-all-serial-offenders-experience-trauma-in-childhood-that/) Joanna Schaffhausen > [“Being trauma informed must include respecting and honouring the fact that what is learned from the experience of trauma is a kind of knowledge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linde-zingaro/being-trauma-informed-must-include-respecting-and-honouring-the-fact/) Linde Zingaro > [There are a variety of different ways in which we experience trauma as human beings without seeing it. I guess because cinema's so visual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/there-are-a-variety-of-different-ways-in-which-we-experience-trauma/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [If 'Preacher's Daughter' was my learning experience of what not to do with trauma and healing, 'Willoughby Tucker' has been my experience of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-cain/if-preacher-s-daughter-was-my-learning-experience-of-what-not-to-do/) [Ethel Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-cain/) > [You think my paintings are calm, like windows in some cathedral? You should look again. I'm the most violent of all the American painters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rothko/you-think-my-paintings-are-calm-like-windows-in-some-cathedral-you/) [Mark Rothko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rothko/) > [I think most paintings are a record of the decisions that the artist made. I just perhaps make them a little clearer than some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/i-think-most-paintings-are-a-record-of-the-decisions-that-the-artist/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [I don't dare to think my paintings are great. I can't understand the arrogance of someone saying, 'I have created a big, important work.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/i-don-t-dare-to-think-my-paintings-are-great-i-can-t-understand-the/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [I think not knowing what to think of your paintings is a good place to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-think-not-knowing-what-to-think-of-your-paintings-is-a-good-place/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [Some people might think that the paintings are involved with a mythic - not just subject matter - but a certain sort of physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/some-people-might-think-that-the-paintings-are-involved-with-a-mythic/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) ## More by Liz Murray > [“Life has a way of doing that; one minute everything makes sense, the next, things change. People get sick. Families break apart, your friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/life-has-a-way-of-doing-that-one-minute-everything-makes-sense-the/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“Things turning around for me had been the result of my focusing on the few areas in life I could change, and surrendering to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/things-turning-around-for-me-had-been-the-result-of-my-focusing-on/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [There was just so much attention that got focused on my story, and what that created was an opportunity for me to share what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/there-was-just-so-much-attention-that-got-focused-on-my-story-and/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“Wherever you go, you'll make the best of things. Look at your life, you already have... That's why I know you'll be all right...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/wherever-you-go-you-ll-make-the-best-of-things-look-at-your-life-you/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“Since as far back as I could remember, I'd felt that Lisa's responses toward me usually bordered on the brink of hostility. Years later,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/since-as-far-back-as-i-could-remember-i-d-felt-that-lisa-s-responses/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“Dream, but don't sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/dream-but-don-t-sleep/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“It's not that we didn't love one another- we did. I just think we didn't know how to be with one another anymore. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/it-s-not-that-we-didn-t-love-one-another-we-did-i-just-think-we-didn/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [ “Making these choices \[to attend school instead of skipping\], as it turned out, wasn't about willpower. I always admired people who “willed” themselves to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/making-these-choices-to-attend-school-instead-of-skipping-as-it/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [I've learned in my life that you really don't know what's possible until you're already doing it,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-ve-learned-in-my-life-that-you-really-don-t-know-what-s-possible/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [Shortly after I turned 13, Child Welfare took me into care. I was sent to a residential centre where girls with behavioural problems were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/shortly-after-i-turned-13-child-welfare-took-me-into-care-i-was-sent/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [I realized eventually that when I ran out of places to stay and found myself on the D train and in Central Park, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-realized-eventually-that-when-i-ran-out-of-places-to-stay-and-found/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [As well as being blind, Ma turned out to have the same mental illness that her mother had had. Between 1986 and 1990, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/as-well-as-being-blind-ma-turned-out-to-have-the-same-mental-illness/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“That’s when I realized that sex was not necessarily a shared thing. Sex was something you do with someone else, yet you can experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/that-s-when-i-realized-that-sex-was-not-necessarily-a-shared-thing/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [“for years, maybe for my whole life, it felt as though there was a brick wall down the middle of everything. Standing outside those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/for-years-maybe-for-my-whole-life-it-felt-as-though-there-was-a-brick/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) > [I guess if there is a big spiritual experience in my life, it is me becoming a mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-murray/i-guess-if-there-is-a-big-spiritual-experience-in-my-life-it-is-me/) [Liz Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) [Explore all 60 Liz Murray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-murray/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“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 > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [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 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/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I think his paintings are cathartic for him,” she said. “After you experience trauma that deep, you need to do something to heal. 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