--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How can you be an artist and not reflect…" description: "\"How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?\" — Nina Simone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/nina-simone-3396_art_how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect_2274176.png" --- # How can you be an artist and not reflect the times? ![“How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?” quote by Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/nina-simone-3396_art_how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect_2274176.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/nina-simone-3396_art_how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect_2274176.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/nina-simone-3396_art_how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect_2274176.png) > “How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?” [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She questions the expectation that artists must mirror contemporary society, urging creative independence. **In simple terms:** Artists need not always echo current trends. Key Takeaway Create authentically, regardless of era. Themes art individualism culture Mood reflective defiant Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - music composition - visual art exhibitions - personal branding Key Concepts creativity authenticity societal pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal expression with audience expectations? - What risks arise when defying cultural trends? A Different Perspective Art may be misunderstood if it challenges prevailing norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“It is an artist's duty to reflect the times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/it-is-an-artist-s-duty-to-reflect-the-times/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [It's interesting how thrillers reflect the times we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/it-s-interesting-how-thrillers-reflect-the-times-we-live-in/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [It's an artist's duty to reflect the times in which we live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-an-artist-s-duty-to-reflect-the-times-in-which-we-live/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't help it. An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/you-can-t-help-it-an-artist-s-duty-as-far-as-i-m-concerned-is-to/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [As an artist, you reflect the world around you. To do that, you must dive in, take risks, fall on your face, win, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellie-martin/as-an-artist-you-reflect-the-world-around-you-to-do-that-you-must/) [Kellie Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellie-martin/) > [I'm glad to say I'm experiencing more of a conversation in my artistic workforce world than I ever have before. But it's a job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-mueller/i-m-glad-to-say-i-m-experiencing-more-of-a-conversation-in-my/) [Jessie Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-mueller/) > [I want to be my own artist and reflect my creativity.. I don't want to be turned into a pop princess; that's not who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brynn-cartelli/i-want-to-be-my-own-artist-and-reflect-my-creativity-i-don-t-want-to/) [Brynn Cartelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brynn-cartelli/) > [The most powerful element is that a designer has to reflect the times. So often you can only sense a change, and not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-menkes/the-most-powerful-element-is-that-a-designer-has-to-reflect-the-times/) [Suzy Menkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-menkes/) > [There is a Nina Simone quote, 'It is an artist's duty to reflect the times.' This quote is everything to me and I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raye/there-is-a-nina-simone-quote-it-is-an-artist-s-duty-to-reflect-the/) [Raye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raye/) > [We may not like our times or many aspects of the time we live in but that is not the fault of art as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elliott/we-may-not-like-our-times-or-many-aspects-of-the-time-we-live-in-but/) [David Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elliott/) > [In writing, I want to be remembered for telling good stories in beautiful and powerful language, using the poetry of words to reflect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/in-writing-i-want-to-be-remembered-for-telling-good-stories-in/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [You have to self-reflect. If you forget who you actually are, then what's the use of even looking in the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/you-have-to-self-reflect-if-you-forget-who-you-actually-are-then-what/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“We don’t have to wait until something is lost or ending to enjoy it now. We can find reminders to help us pause and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-hallis/we-don-t-have-to-wait-until-something-is-lost-or-ending-to-enjoy-it/) [Tina Hallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-hallis/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) ## More by Nina Simone > [Music is one of the ways by which you can know everything which is going on in the world. You can feel... through music...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/music-is-one-of-the-ways-by-which-you-can-know-everything-which-is/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [My love is like the wind and wild is the wind. Give me more than one caress, satisfy my hungriness. Let the wind blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/my-love-is-like-the-wind-and-wild-is-the-wind-give-me-more-than-one/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I can't stand loud guitars that make me deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-can-t-stand-loud-guitars-that-make-me-deaf/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I don't like to go to strange places. I was in Italy for about five hours on my way to Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-don-t-like-to-go-to-strange-places-i-was-in-italy-for-about-five/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [We have ordered things so long in a certain way, we are numb. Nobody dares question it. This is what is wrong, symbolically, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/we-have-ordered-things-so-long-in-a-certain-way-we-are-numb-nobody/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I wasn't a jazz player, but a classical musician, and I improvised arrangements of popular songs using classical motifs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-wasn-t-a-jazz-player-but-a-classical-musician-and-i-improvised/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I think the rich will eventually have to cave in too, because the economic situation around the world is not gonna tolerate the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-think-the-rich-will-eventually-have-to-cave-in-too-because-the/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [There's no excuse for the young...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/there-s-no-excuse-for-the-young/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Everything that happened to me as a child involved music. It was part of everyday life, as automatic as breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/everything-that-happened-to-me-as-a-child-involved-music-it-was-part/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [When I was studying... there weren't any black concert pianists. My choices were intuitive, and I had the technique to do it. People have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/when-i-was-studying-there-weren-t-any-black-concert-pianists-my/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [You have to learn to get up from the table when love is not being served.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/you-have-to-learn-to-get-up-from-the-table-when-love-is-not-being/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [That's a very high goal to have, study eight hours a day to be a concert pianist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/that-s-a-very-high-goal-to-have-study-eight-hours-a-day-to-be-a/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," a song that was written for Simone, she confronted the band's lead singer, Eric Burdon. "So you're the honky,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/don-t-let-me-be-misunderstood-a-song-that-was-written-for-simone-she/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [This is the world you have made yourself, now you have to live in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/this-is-the-world-you-have-made-yourself-now-you-have-to-live-in-it/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-ll-tell-you-what-freedom-is-to-me-no-fear-i-mean-really-no-fear/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) [Explore all 132 Nina Simone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) ## 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. 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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": "How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nina Simone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect-the-times/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect-the-times/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/nina-simone-3396_art_how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect_2274176.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/nina-simone-3396_art_how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect_2274176.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/nina-simone-3396_art_how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect_2274176.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?” — Nina Simone", "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": "Nina Simone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How can you be an artist...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect-the-times/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/how-can-you-be-an-artist-and-not-reflect-the-times/#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 } } ] } ```