--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One never knows what one is going to do…" description: "\"One never knows what one is going to do. One starts a painting and then it becomes something quite different.\" — Pablo Picasso" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/pablo-picasso-552_artist_one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do_24924.jpg" --- # One never knows what one is going to do. One starts a… ![“One never knows what one is going to do. One starts a painting and then it becomes something quite different.” quote by Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/pablo-picasso-552_artist_one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do_24924.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/pablo-picasso-552_artist_one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do_24924.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/pablo-picasso-552_artist_one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do_24924.jpg) > “One never knows what one is going to do. One starts a painting and then it becomes something quite different.” [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative processes are unpredictable; intentions evolve as work unfolds. **In simple terms:** Artistic discovery through spontaneity Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty in creation Themes creativity uncertainty process evolution art Mood curious inspired Type observation philosophical When to use this quote - starting a painting - writing a story - designing a product - improvising music - solving a problem Key Concepts spontaneity transformation Practical Applications - creative brainstorming - innovation workshops Questions to Reflect On - How does uncertainty shape your work? - What can you learn from unexpected outcomes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [I felt I really wanted to back off from music completely and just work within the visual arts in some way. I started painting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-felt-i-really-wanted-to-back-off-from-music-completely-and-just/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [“Opinions and ideas are quite different than provable facts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/opinions-and-ideas-are-quite-different-than-provable-facts/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [I can't sing, but I know how to, which is quite different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/i-can-t-sing-but-i-know-how-to-which-is-quite-different/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [The track 'Fire' is quite different from the other songs in 'Kites.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh-roshan/the-track-fire-is-quite-different-from-the-other-songs-in-kites/) [Rajesh Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh-roshan/) > [I think in this, definitely, because you are feeling how it felt to live in a completely different time. The mannerisms and the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-mitchell/i-think-in-this-definitely-because-you-are-feeling-how-it-felt-to/) [Radha Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-mitchell/) > [You know, it was just another presentation of my work, and a funny one, because the cards are quite different from the normal Tarot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-giger/you-know-it-was-just-another-presentation-of-my-work-and-a-funny-one/) [H. R. Giger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-giger/) > [ Jamie Foley - he's a very different energy to \[director\] Sam \[Taylor-Johnson\]. The whole experience was actually quite different. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dornan/jamie-foley-he-s-a-very-different-energy-to-director-sam-taylor/) [Jamie Dornan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dornan/) > [Life in the Middle East is quite different from other places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaha-hadid/life-in-the-middle-east-is-quite-different-from-other-places/) [Zaha Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaha-hadid/) > [I really do think that if we had lost that case we would really live in a country that would be really quite different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-really-do-think-that-if-we-had-lost-that-case-we-would-really-live/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [From my experience, I can affirm that I don't really know how the women see the world like, but it seems to be quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-massey/from-my-experience-i-can-affirm-that-i-don-t-really-know-how-the/) [Vikrant Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-massey/) > [Comradeship is quite a different thing from friendship. . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/comradeship-is-quite-a-different-thing-from-friendship/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [There is some reason, obviously, that you are drawn to your material, but the way in which you explore it might come to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-beattie/there-is-some-reason-obviously-that-you-are-drawn-to-your-material/) [Ann Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-beattie/) > [Listen something, understand something else and explain quite different than both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/listen-something-understand-something-else-and-explain-quite/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Yes, things have turned out to be quite different from what I had in mind as a youngster. But I'm enjoying every minute of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukul-dev/yes-things-have-turned-out-to-be-quite-different-from-what-i-had-in/) [Mukul Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukul-dev/) > [The term science means something quite different for our generation than it did not so many generations ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-term-science-means-something-quite-different-for-our-generation/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) ## More by Pablo Picasso > [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/) > [When I haven't any blue I use red.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/when-i-haven-t-any-blue-i-use-red/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [The Parthenon is really only a farmyard over which someone put a roof; colonades and sculptures were added because there were people in Athens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/the-parthenon-is-really-only-a-farmyard-over-which-someone-put-a-roof/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [By amusing myself with all these games, all this nonsense, all these picture puzzles, I became famous... I am only a public entertainer who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/by-amusing-myself-with-all-these-games-all-this-nonsense-all-these/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [If I paint a hammer and sickle people may think it is a representation of Communism, but for me it is only a hammer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/if-i-paint-a-hammer-and-sickle-people-may-think-it-is-a/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Now there is fame! Of all - hunger, misery, the incomprehension by the public - fame is by far the worst. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/now-there-is-fame-of-all-hunger-misery-the-incomprehension-by-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [It takes a long time to become young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/it-takes-a-long-time-to-become-young/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth at least the truth that is given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/we-all-know-that-art-is-not-truth-art-is-a-lie-that-makes-us-realize/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [You see these thick curtains shut out the daylight: artificial light suits me a great deal better; it's absolutely steady, and much more exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/you-see-these-thick-curtains-shut-out-the-daylight-artificial-light/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [The best calculation is the absence of calculation. Once you have attained a certain level of recognition, others generally figure that when you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/the-best-calculation-is-the-absence-of-calculation-once-you-have/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Action is the foundational key to all success. --Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/action-is-the-foundational-key-to-all-success-pablo-picasso/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [The earth doesn't have a housekeeper to do the dusting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/the-earth-doesn-t-have-a-housekeeper-to-do-the-dusting/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/god-is-really-only-another-artist-he-invented-the-giraffe-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/a-baby-will-make-love-stronger-days-shorter-nights-longer-bankroll/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just keeps on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/god-is-really-only-another-artist-he-invented-the-giraffe-the-2/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Explore all 477 Pablo Picasso quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) ## 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 > [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": "One never knows what one is going to do. One starts a painting and then it becomes something quite different.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pablo Picasso" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do-one-starts-a-painting-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do-one-starts-a-painting-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/pablo-picasso-552_artist_one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do_24924.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/pablo-picasso-552_artist_one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do_24924.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f9/pablo-picasso-552_artist_one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do_24924.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One never knows what one is going to do. One starts a painting and then it becomes something quite different.” — Pablo Picasso", "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": "Pablo Picasso", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One never knows what one is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do-one-starts-a-painting-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/one-never-knows-what-one-is-going-to-do-one-starts-a-painting-and/#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 } } ] } ```