--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think when people talk about art…" description: "\"I think when people talk about art imitating life, you're in real time.\" — Mike Colter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/mike-colter-3338_art_i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imita_5384.jpg" --- # I think when people talk about art imitating life, you're… ![“I think when people talk about art imitating life, you're in real time.” quote by Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/mike-colter-3338_art_i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imita_5384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/mike-colter-3338_art_i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imita_5384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/mike-colter-3338_art_i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imita_5384.jpg) > “I think when people talk about art imitating life, you're in real time.” [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observes that artistic expression mirrors current lived experience, implying art is a real‑time reflection rather than a delayed imitation. **In simple terms:** Art mirrors present life. Key Takeaway Art is a live snapshot of reality. Themes Art Reality Time Perception Reflection Mood Analytical Contemplative Observational Type Philosophical Anecdotal Reflective When to use this quote - Discussing a film's relevance - Analyzing a song's lyrics - Critiquing a painting at an exhibition - Teaching media studies - Writing a cultural blog Key Concepts Imitation Contemporary Culture Observation Practical Applications - Teaching media criticism - Generating real‑time art commentary Questions to Reflect On - How does immediacy affect artistic value? - Can art ever be truly separate from life? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Art imitating life and life imitating art, and it's beyond the job - it will always be a marked period in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-pierce/art-imitating-life-and-life-imitating-art-and-it-s-beyond-the-job-it/) [Wendell Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-pierce/) > [Miley is always on, she’s always funny, she’s always writing songs, she’s always making music. The parallel of the film is like Miley says,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-ray-cyrus/miley-is-always-on-she-s-always-funny-she-s-always-writing-songs-she/) [Billy Ray Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-ray-cyrus/) > [You're living life in real time, man, and we' ve got a good amount of work to do for each other. Hiding is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-harper/you-re-living-life-in-real-time-man-and-we-ve-got-a-good-amount-of/) [Ben Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-harper/) > [Everyone knows of the talking artists. Throughout all of the known history of the world they have gathered in rooms and talked. They talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/everyone-knows-of-the-talking-artists-throughout-all-of-the-known/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [“Of course it's almost ludicrously difficult to talk about art. And about beauty. Beauty is a perversion--how can you retain your self-respect when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torgny-lindgren/of-course-it-s-almost-ludicrously-difficult-to-talk-about-art-and/) [Torgny Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torgny-lindgren/) > [Make your life your art. It doesn't have to be that you're an artist. I know I talk about art a lot, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/make-your-life-your-art-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-that-you-re-an-artist-i/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Sometimes it is better not to talk about art by using the word "art". If we just act with awareness and integrity, our art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-it-is-better-not-to-talk-about-art-by-using-the-word-art-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But it's hard to talk about art. Maybe there should be a law against it, some First Amendment gag order like crying fire in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-elkin/but-it-s-hard-to-talk-about-art-maybe-there-should-be-a-law-against/) [Stanley Elkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-elkin/) > [“There was nothing particularly striking about them except that they were artists of the kind that talk. Everyone knows of the talking artists. Throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/there-was-nothing-particularly-striking-about-them-except-that-they/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [“I don’t want to talk about art, Red. I don’t want to hear you talk about it, either. What I want is for you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-james/i-don-t-want-to-talk-about-art-red-i-don-t-want-to-hear-you-talk/) [Ella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-james/) > [People talk about this often in the art world. The press releases have reached a level of absurdity and creativity - creative absurdity -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-salle/people-talk-about-this-often-in-the-art-world-the-press-releases-have/) [David Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-salle/) > [One of my favorite things about art, especially at a gallery, is hearing people talk about the art. I find it quite amusing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-souleiman/one-of-my-favorite-things-about-art-especially-at-a-gallery-is/) [Eugene Souleiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-souleiman/) > [When bankers get together they talk about art. When artists get together, they talk about money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/when-bankers-get-together-they-talk-about-art-when-artists-get/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men talk about art, and artists make art, but should artists talk?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leos-carax/men-talk-about-art-and-artists-make-art-but-should-artists-talk/) [Leos Carax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leos-carax/) > [If we talk about art in general... all the works of art, each one of them could reflect a moment in the history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-risso/if-we-talk-about-art-in-general-all-the-works-of-art-each-one-of-them/) [Eduardo Risso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-risso/) ## More by Mike Colter > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I'm a bit bored of going to the gym! I'm like, 'Someone put me out of my misery - I can't do this anymore!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-m-a-bit-bored-of-going-to-the-gym-i-m-like-someone-put-me-out-of-my/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [As an actor, you just want to continue to work on things that you like. 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I always take things with a grain of salt, I'm always very even-keeled, and I'm always waiting for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-m-a-very-un-excitable-person-i-always-take-things-with-a-grain-of/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I met some people in college and I kept cracking away until someone pointed me in the right direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-met-some-people-in-college-and-i-kept-cracking-away-until-someone/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [A lot of times in life, women want to talk, but men don't want to listen, and if they do want to listen, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/a-lot-of-times-in-life-women-want-to-talk-but-men-don-t-want-to/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I like to take a break, but at the same time, I think most actors are not very good at sitting around doing nothing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-like-to-take-a-break-but-at-the-same-time-i-think-most-actors-are/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Never say "never" about anything, because if you do, life has a way of humbling you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/never-say-never-about-anything-because-if-you-do-life-has-a-way-of/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I think anyone in New York City could look at Luke Cage and say, 'Hey, this guy could help me out.' I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-think-anyone-in-new-york-city-could-look-at-luke-cage-and-say-hey/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) [Explore all 133 Mike Colter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) ## 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 when people talk about art imitating life, you're in real time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Colter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imitating-life-you-re-in-real-time/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imitating-life-you-re-in-real-time/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/mike-colter-3338_art_i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imita_5384.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/mike-colter-3338_art_i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imita_5384.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/mike-colter-3338_art_i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imita_5384.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think when people talk about art imitating life, you're in real time.” — Mike Colter", "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": "Mike Colter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think when people talk about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imitating-life-you-re-in-real-time/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imitating-life-you-re-in-real-time/#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 } } ] } ```