--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think artists are going to express…" description: "\"I think artists are going to express things from an emotional point of view, that's their job, to suggest and interpret, and report what they witness. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/maynard-james-keenan-3839_art_i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-thi_672312.png" --- # I think artists are going to express things from an… ![“I think artists are going to express things from an emotional point of view, that's their job, to suggest and interpret, and report what they witness. That's their job as artists, you're looking for the rub, where's the rub, you're a storyteller, you're looking for the rub, not necessarily the…” quote by Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/maynard-james-keenan-3839_art_i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-thi_672312.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/maynard-james-keenan-3839_art_i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-thi_672312.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/maynard-james-keenan-3839_art_i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-thi_672312.png) > “I think artists are going to express things from an emotional point of view, that's their job, to suggest and interpret, and report what they witness. That's their job as artists, you're looking for the rub, where's the rub, you're a storyteller, you're looking for the rub, not necessarily the solutions, or you're not necessarily educated, you're not the winner of a debate contest, a national debate contest, you're not necessarily a person who has a doctorate in anything.” [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists aim to convey emotional truth, interpreting experiences rather than providing definitive answers or expertise. **In simple terms:** Artists share feelings, not facts. Key Takeaway Focus on emotional honesty. Themes creativity interpretation storytelling Mood reflective thoughtful Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - documentary filmmaking - personal memoirs - public speaking - creative workshops Key Concepts emotional intelligence subjectivity artistic purpose Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance emotion with accuracy? - When should a storyteller seek solutions? A Different Perspective May not replace rigorous analysis or expert testimony. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Doctorates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctorates/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) [Storyteller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyteller/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winner/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I think all artists are looking for a subject or are sometimes unsure of their subject, but immigrant artists bring another culture to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-think-all-artists-are-looking-for-a-subject-or-are-sometimes-unsure/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I think there's an interest right now in the performance aspect of artworks, instead of just hanging things on walls. We're in a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/i-think-there-s-an-interest-right-now-in-the-performance-aspect-of/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [Artists are always looking for new things and fresh ground and fresh air. If it feels new to me, there's a chance it'll feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/artists-are-always-looking-for-new-things-and-fresh-ground-and-fresh/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I'm very sensitive. It's always been something I'm very in tune with. I am very emotional. Sometimes to the point of where I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-blackburn/i-m-very-sensitive-it-s-always-been-something-i-m-very-in-tune-with-i/) [Tyler Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-blackburn/) > [Yes, but Hollywood is the strangest place in that they'll torpedo their own film to prove an emotional point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/yes-but-hollywood-is-the-strangest-place-in-that-they-ll-torpedo/) [Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/) > [I can remember feeling very angry, and saying no! I can do it myself! From that point of view it was very emotional for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-hines/i-can-remember-feeling-very-angry-and-saying-no-i-can-do-it-myself/) [Gregory Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-hines/) > [If you have a movie that doesn't strive to go to a certain emotional point, you can do anything and it will be fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/if-you-have-a-movie-that-doesn-t-strive-to-go-to-a-certain-emotional/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [“The crucial job of artists is to find a way to release materials into the animated middle ground between subjects, and so to initiate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-lauterbach/the-crucial-job-of-artists-is-to-find-a-way-to-release-materials-into/) Ann Lauterbach > [To me, it's our job as artists. You must bring joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-mcferrin/to-me-it-s-our-job-as-artists-you-must-bring-joy/) [Bobby McFerrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-mcferrin/) > [It is the job of artists to open doors and invite in prophesies, the unknown, the unfamiliar; it’s where their work comes from, although…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/it-is-the-job-of-artists-to-open-doors-and-invite-in-prophesies-the/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Our first job as artists, then, is to venture out, away from what we think we know in search of the new and unexplored.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/our-first-job-as-artists-then-is-to-venture-out-away-from-what-we/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [That's our job as artists is to be honest about what we're feeling. And what we're feeling is not always going to be perfect.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/that-s-our-job-as-artists-is-to-be-honest-about-what-we-re-feeling/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [So-called leaders aren't doing anything, so it's become the job of artists like me. We have to get on the front lines and fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fantastic-negrito/so-called-leaders-aren-t-doing-anything-so-it-s-become-the-job-of/) [Fantastic Negrito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fantastic-negrito/) > [I believe that every artist has his or her own vision of the world; our job as artists is to find and express that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-katchen/i-believe-that-every-artist-has-his-or-her-own-vision-of-the-world/) [Carole Katchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-katchen/) > [Our job as artists, we believe, is not to make changes in society. We don't have the ability to do that. We reflect life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/our-job-as-artists-we-believe-is-not-to-make-changes-in-society-we/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) ## More by Maynard James Keenan > [I can't be a legend yet. I'm not dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-can-t-be-a-legend-yet-i-m-not-dead/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [We are eternal. All this pain is an illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/we-are-eternal-all-this-pain-is-an-illusion/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/repugnant-is-a-creature-who-would-squander-the-ability-to-lift-an-eye/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [Why did Father give these humans free will? Now they're all confused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/why-did-father-give-these-humans-free-will-now-they-re-all-confused/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [The process that we go through in recording with Tool is very organic, but at the same time it is very thought out. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/the-process-that-we-go-through-in-recording-with-tool-is-very-organic/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [Just in general, any government throughout history hasn't really wanted its people to be educated, because then they couldn't control them as easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/just-in-general-any-government-throughout-history-hasn-t-really/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [The trick is to use the drugs once to get there, and maybe spend the next ten years trying to get back there without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/the-trick-is-to-use-the-drugs-once-to-get-there-and-maybe-spend-the/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [“If I let you, you would make me destroy myself. in order to survive you, I must first survive myself. I can sink no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/if-i-let-you-you-would-make-me-destroy-myself-in-order-to-survive-you/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [All I can do is say I smell a rat. I don't know where it is or what kind of rat it is, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/all-i-can-do-is-say-i-smell-a-rat-i-don-t-know-where-it-is-or-what/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [I believe that music is a force in itself. It is there and it needs an outlet, a medium. In a way, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-believe-that-music-is-a-force-in-itself-it-is-there-and-it-needs-an/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [I want to find a genie in a bottle that can grant me three wishes. I want to be able to speak, read, write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-want-to-find-a-genie-in-a-bottle-that-can-grant-me-three-wishes-i/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [I think psychedelics play a major part in what we do, but having said that, I feel that if somebody's going to experiment with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-psychedelics-play-a-major-part-in-what-we-do-but-having-said/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [I'm a pessimist. But I'm a pessimist with a sense of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-a-pessimist-but-i-m-a-pessimist-with-a-sense-of-responsibility/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) [Explore all 121 Maynard James Keenan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) ## 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. 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": "I think artists are going to express things from an emotional point of view, that's their job, to suggest and interpret, and report what they witness. That's their job as artists, you're looking for the rub, where's the rub, you're a storyteller, you're looking for the rub, not necessarily the solutions, or you're not necessarily educated, you're not the winner of a debate contest, a national debate contest, you're not necessarily a person who has a doctorate in anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maynard James Keenan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-things-from-an-emotional-point/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-things-from-an-emotional-point/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/maynard-james-keenan-3839_art_i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-thi_672312.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/maynard-james-keenan-3839_art_i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-thi_672312.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/maynard-james-keenan-3839_art_i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-thi_672312.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think artists are going to express things from an emotional point of view, that's their job, to suggest…” — Maynard James Keenan", "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": "Maynard James Keenan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think artists are going to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-things-from-an-emotional-point/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-artists-are-going-to-express-things-from-an-emotional-point/#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 } } ] } ```