--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My idea of art is, you write something…" description: "\"My idea of art is, you write something that makes people feel so strongly that they get some conviction about who they want to be or what they want to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/mary-karr-3335_about_my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-th_2685771.jpg" --- # My idea of art is, you write something that makes people… ![“My idea of art is, you write something that makes people feel so strongly that they get some conviction about who they want to be or what they want to do. It's morally useful not in a political way, but it makes your heart bigger; it's emotionally and spiritually empowering.” quote by Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/mary-karr-3335_about_my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-th_2685771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/mary-karr-3335_about_my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-th_2685771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/mary-karr-3335_about_my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-th_2685771.jpg) > “My idea of art is, you write something that makes people feel so strongly that they get some conviction about who they want to be or what they want to do. It's morally useful not in a political way, but it makes your heart bigger; it's emotionally and spiritually empowering.” [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art that moves people emotionally expands their moral and spiritual horizons. **In simple terms:** Art that stirs emotions expands hearts. Key Takeaway Create art that inspires growth. Themes artistic impact emotional resonance spiritual growth Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - Creative writing workshops - public speaking - community projects Key Concepts Narrative power ethical influence Questions to Reflect On - What emotions do you want your work to evoke? - How can art drive personal change? A Different Perspective Art may be misunderstood or ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-write-941421/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Emotionally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotionally/) [Empowering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empowering/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Idea Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-art-365630/) [Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes/) [Morally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morally/) [Morally Useful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morally-useful-2617334/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Spiritually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritually/) [Strongly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strongly/) [Useful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [It is conceivable that religion may be morally useful without being intellectually sustainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/it-is-conceivable-that-religion-may-be-morally-useful-without-being/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [If America is a ship, it looks a lot like it's sinking - financially, morally, spiritually. It's frightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cameron/if-america-is-a-ship-it-looks-a-lot-like-it-s-sinking-financially/) [Kirk Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cameron/) > [Writing is a divine art, and the more I write and read the more I love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/writing-is-a-divine-art-and-the-more-i-write-and-read-the-more-i-love/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The art is never about what you write about. The art is about how you write about what you write about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-abani/the-art-is-never-about-what-you-write-about-the-art-is-about-how-you/) [Chris Abani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-abani/) > [“I’m only going to say this once: there’s a difference between writing and creating art. Anyone can write, but only a few can create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saffron-a-kent/i-m-only-going-to-say-this-once-there-s-a-difference-between-writing/) [Saffron A. Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saffron-a-kent/) > [I think it's very, very, very hard to get a book published. I never want to be one of those teachers that say, 'don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/i-think-it-s-very-very-very-hard-to-get-a-book-published-i-never-want/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [Making your bed could be a piece of art, and writing a book could be a piece of art. You could also write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-brannon/making-your-bed-could-be-a-piece-of-art-and-writing-a-book-could-be-a/) [Matthew Brannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-brannon/) > [Art goes on in your head. If you said something interesting, that might be a title for a work of art and I'd write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/art-goes-on-in-your-head-if-you-said-something-interesting-that-might/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [I haven't the slightest idea what art is, but to be a painter is something of which you have to prove.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-thiebaud/i-haven-t-the-slightest-idea-what-art-is-but-to-be-a-painter-is/) [Wayne Thiebaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-thiebaud/) > [I happen to like regionalism, whatever that means. I like the idea of art that somehow specifically reflects some aspect of a community or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-mcmillen/i-happen-to-like-regionalism-whatever-that-means-i-like-the-idea-of/) [Michael C. McMillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-mcmillen/) > [This idea of art for art's sake is a hoax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/this-idea-of-art-for-art-s-sake-is-a-hoax/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [ “Because his \[Damien Hirst\] art is idea art - art drawn on the back of cigarette packets and beer mats, roughed out in airport… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-burn/because-his-damien-hirst-art-is-idea-art-art-drawn-on-the-back-of/) [Gordon Burn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-burn/) > [“We will be happy if we can get around to the idea that art is not an outside and extra thing; that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/we-will-be-happy-if-we-can-get-around-to-the-idea-that-art-is-not-an/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) > [The first idea, the first art piece I ever did, was when I was four. I cut the seed of a pear in half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/the-first-idea-the-first-art-piece-i-ever-did-was-when-i-was-four-i/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [I am really interested in the idea that art can reach wider, can go further, can go beyond the art world, why not? People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anish-kapoor/i-am-really-interested-in-the-idea-that-art-can-reach-wider-can-go/) [Anish Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anish-kapoor/) ## More by Mary Karr > [I do have a really good memory. I mean, like, I can remember all the phone numbers of everybody on the street I grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/i-do-have-a-really-good-memory-i-mean-like-i-can-remember-all-the/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [Ninety percent of what's wrong with you could be cured with a hot bath, says God from the bowels of the subway. but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/ninety-percent-of-what-s-wrong-with-you-could-be-cured-with-a-hot/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [I always say that a poet loves the world, and the prose writer needs to create an alternative world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/i-always-say-that-a-poet-loves-the-world-and-the-prose-writer-needs/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [Even the best of us are at least part-time bastards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/even-the-best-of-us-are-at-least-part-time-bastards/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [“And Meredith says that reminds her of a Camus novel, the one about the plague, and she tells the story of it, the tale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/and-meredith-says-that-reminds-her-of-a-camus-novel-the-one-about-the/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [When people suffer, their relationships usually suffer as well. Period. And we all suffer because, as the Buddha says, that's the nature of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/when-people-suffer-their-relationships-usually-suffer-as-well-period/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [I'm not nearly smart enough or imaginative enough to tackle the novel form. Never happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/i-m-not-nearly-smart-enough-or-imaginative-enough-to-tackle-the-novel/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [“Then it hits me. I’m actually kneeling before a toilet. The throne, as other drunks call it. How many drunken nights and slungover mornings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/then-it-hits-me-i-m-actually-kneeling-before-a-toilet-the-throne-as/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [“I think about the story of Job I heard in Carol Sharp's Sunday school. How he sort of learned to lean into feeling hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/i-think-about-the-story-of-job-i-heard-in-carol-sharp-s-sunday-school/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [I believe in God, but even if you don't, you can believe in a self, the person who is innately who you are. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/i-believe-in-god-but-even-if-you-don-t-you-can-believe-in-a-self-the/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [Love is the only passion which includes in its dreams the happiness of someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/love-is-the-only-passion-which-includes-in-its-dreams-the-happiness/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [It strikes me that whatever advantages there are to being a boy--getting to stay out late and having other people wash your clothes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/it-strikes-me-that-whatever-advantages-there-are-to-being-a-boy/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [“I liked to call myself a poet and had affected a habit of reading classical texts (in translation, of course – I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/i-liked-to-call-myself-a-poet-and-had-affected-a-habit-of-reading/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [It turned out to be impossible for me to 'run away' in the sense other American teenagers did. Any movement at all was taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/it-turned-out-to-be-impossible-for-me-to-run-away-in-the-sense-other/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [“What hurts so bad about youth isn't the actual butt whippings the world delivers. It's the stupid hopes playacting like certainties.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/what-hurts-so-bad-about-youth-isn-t-the-actual-butt-whippings-the/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) [Explore all 133 Mary Karr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) [Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My idea of art is, you write something that makes people feel so strongly that they get some conviction about who they want to be or what they want to do. It's morally useful not in a political way, but it makes your heart bigger; it's emotionally and spiritually empowering.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Karr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-that-makes-people-feel-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-that-makes-people-feel-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/mary-karr-3335_about_my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-th_2685771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/mary-karr-3335_about_my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-th_2685771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/mary-karr-3335_about_my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-th_2685771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My idea of art is, you write something that makes people feel so strongly that they get some conviction…” — Mary Karr", "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": "Mary Karr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My idea of art is, you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-that-makes-people-feel-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/my-idea-of-art-is-you-write-something-that-makes-people-feel-so/#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 } } ] } ```