---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm interested in how we define things by…"
description: "\"I'm interested in how we define things by how we choose to observe them, and how everywhere in our lives, and in every moment we experience, there are ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/oliver-jeffers-40268_born_i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-b_1184823.jpg"
---

#  I'm interested in how we define things by how we choose to…

![“I'm interested in how we define things by how we choose to observe them, and how everywhere in our lives, and in every moment we experience, there are forces at work that we don't fully understand. Couple this curiosity with a love of portraiture painting, and that's how this project was born.” quote by Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/oliver-jeffers-40268_born_i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-b_1184823.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/oliver-jeffers-40268_born_i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-b_1184823.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/oliver-jeffers-40268_born_i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-b_1184823.jpg)

> “I'm interested in how we define things by how we choose to observe them, and how everywhere in our lives, and in every moment we experience, there are forces at work that we don't fully understand. Couple this curiosity with a love of portraiture painting, and that's how this project was born.”

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He explores how observation shapes definitions, acknowledging unseen forces, merging curiosity with portraiture to inspire his project.

**In simple terms:** Observation defines things; unseen forces influence life; art emerges from curiosity.

Key Takeaway

Use observation and curiosity to inspire creative work.

Themes

art observation curiosity

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

artistic philosophical

When to use this quote

- museum visits
- creative workshops
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does what you observe shape your reality?
- What unseen forces influence your decisions?

A Different Perspective

Interpretation is subjective and may miss hidden complexities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Portraiture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-portraiture-3490058/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Our lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lives/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Portraiture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portraiture/) [Portraiture Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portraiture-painting-3490057/) [Projects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/projects/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I think that we’re a culture that runs away from death, for good reason. Nobody really wants to think about the fact that we’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/i-think-that-we-re-a-culture-that-runs-away-from-death-for-good/)

[Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/)

> [What gets projects done for me is not inspiration. It's curiosity and rigor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zuckerman/what-gets-projects-done-for-me-is-not-inspiration-it-s-curiosity-and/)

[Andrew Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zuckerman/)

> [The most unhappy people in the world are those who face the days without knowing what to do with their time. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-most-unhappy-people-in-the-world-are-those-who-face-the-days/)

[Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/)

> [The simplicity we are looking for is not found in thought. It knows what you have to listen to in every moment and knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-young/the-simplicity-we-are-looking-for-is-not-found-in-thought-it-knows/)

[Robert Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-young/)

> [When NASA makes discoveries they are profound and they make headlines, everyone takes notice. It drives dialogue and, today, it would drive the blogosphere.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/when-nasa-makes-discoveries-they-are-profound-and-they-make-headlines/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [After 20 years of painting wildlife subjects in acrylic, I felt the need for a change and began to explore portraiture and landscape in oils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-parker/after-20-years-of-painting-wildlife-subjects-in-acrylic-i-felt-the/)

[Ron Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-parker/)

> [Nothing in a portrait is a matter of indifference. Gesture, grimace, clothing, decor even - all must combine to realize a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/nothing-in-a-portrait-is-a-matter-of-indifference-gesture-grimace/)

[Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/)

> [The portrait painter... If he insults his sitters his occupation is gone. Whether he paints the should instead of the features, or the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-phillips/the-portrait-painter-if-he-insults-his-sitters-his-occupation-is-gone/)

[Walter J. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-j-phillips/)

> [I do not care to paint portraits indoors. I cannot feel sympathetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-sorolla/i-do-not-care-to-paint-portraits-indoors-i-cannot-feel-sympathetic/)

[Joaquin Sorolla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-sorolla/)

> [A photographic close-up is perhaps the purest form of portraiture, creating a confrontation between the viewer and the subject that daily interaction makes impossible,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schoeller/a-photographic-close-up-is-perhaps-the-purest-form-of-portraiture/)

[Martin Schoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schoeller/)

> [In the years since The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin, Voinovich has sharpened his satire, and Monumental Propaganda is a novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kalfus/in-the-years-since-the-life-and-extraordinary-adventures-of-private/)

[Ken Kalfus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kalfus/)

> [If a figure doesn't look back at you, you forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/if-a-figure-doesn-t-look-back-at-you-you-forget-it/)

[Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/)

> [We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/we-re-wired-to-be-empathetic-and-to-care-about-the-needs-of-others/)

[Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/)

> [I hate to paint portraits! I hope never to paint another portrait in my life. Portraiture may be all right for a man in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-singer-sargent/i-hate-to-paint-portraits-i-hope-never-to-paint-another-portrait-in/)

[John Singer Sargent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-singer-sargent/)

> [When one starts from a portrait and seeks by successive eliminations to find pure form... one inevitably ends up with an egg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/when-one-starts-from-a-portrait-and-seeks-by-successive-eliminations/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

## More by Oliver Jeffers

> [“Then the boy realised,the penguin wasn't lost,he was just lonely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/then-the-boy-realised-the-penguin-wasn-t-lost-he-was-just-lonely/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [If you care too much about what others think then you ultimately become what you think they want you to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/if-you-care-too-much-about-what-others-think-then-you-ultimately/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [Everything we know has come from stories that have been told over and over again as truth. Those stories turn into history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/everything-we-know-has-come-from-stories-that-have-been-told-over-and/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [I started hiding my paintings in certain ways, like behind panes of glass for example. Then, instead of hiding them I did something quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/i-started-hiding-my-paintings-in-certain-ways-like-behind-panes-of/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [I keep writing children’s books, I keep making children’s books, because I still have them inside of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/i-keep-writing-children-s-books-i-keep-making-children-s-books/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [There's a thin line between destruction and creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/there-s-a-thin-line-between-destruction-and-creation/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [The paintings each take several months to do and it's quite a cathartic and intense experience that's very pleasurable, but also very strange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/the-paintings-each-take-several-months-to-do-and-it-s-quite-a/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [“In truth, nothing was the same. She forgot about the stars… and taking notice of the sea. She was no longer filled with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/in-truth-nothing-was-the-same-she-forgot-about-the-stars-and-taking/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [I make figurative portraits as a way to explore theories of quantum physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/i-make-figurative-portraits-as-a-way-to-explore-theories-of-quantum/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

> [Curiosity is the surest sign of intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/curiosity-is-the-surest-sign-of-intelligence/)

[Oliver Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

[Explore all 11 Oliver Jeffers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/)

## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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'm interested in how we define things by how we choose to observe them, and how everywhere in our lives, and in every moment we experience, there are forces at work that we don't fully understand. Couple this curiosity with a love of portraiture painting, and that's how this project was born.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Oliver Jeffers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-by-how-we-choose-to-observe/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Artist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-by-how-we-choose-to-observe/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/oliver-jeffers-40268_born_i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-b_1184823.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/oliver-jeffers-40268_born_i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-b_1184823.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/oliver-jeffers-40268_born_i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-b_1184823.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm interested in how we define things by how we choose to observe them, and how everywhere in our lives…” — Oliver Jeffers",
                "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": "Oliver Jeffers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-jeffers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm interested in how we define...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-by-how-we-choose-to-observe/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-jeffers/i-m-interested-in-how-we-define-things-by-how-we-choose-to-observe/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
