--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think I realized it was an art form at…" description: "\"I think I realized it was an art form at the beginning, but it took me a really long time before I was able to view what I was performing myself as an ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/patton-oswalt-2795_able_i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at_115438.png" --- # I think I realized it was an art form at the beginning… ![“I think I realized it was an art form at the beginning, but it took me a really long time before I was able to view what I was performing myself as an art form.” quote by Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/patton-oswalt-2795_able_i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at_115438.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/patton-oswalt-2795_able_i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at_115438.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/patton-oswalt-2795_able_i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at_115438.png) > “I think I realized it was an art form at the beginning, but it took me a really long time before I was able to view what I was performing myself as an art form.” [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing that one's own performance can be considered art requires a shift from seeing it as mere work to appreciating its creative expression. **In simple terms:** Seeing your own work as art changes how you value it. Key Takeaway Self‑recognition of artistic value. Themes self‑awareness creativity artistic identity Mood contemplative inspired Type personal insight When to use this quote - a comedian reflecting on their routine - a dancer analyzing choreography - a programmer viewing code as craft Key Concepts subjective value meta‑reflection Practical Applications - reframe tasks as creative - use artistic language to motivate Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling work as art affect motivation? - Can any activity be artistic if approached mindfully? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-form/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [In the beginning, I took on every opportunity because I was so determined to get my name and music out there. You can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/in-the-beginning-i-took-on-every-opportunity-because-i-was-so/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [Howard Altmann has found a way to make language transform itself. If the elusive moment between I and Thou could speak, it might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-nurkse/howard-altmann-has-found-a-way-to-make-language-transform-itself-if/) Dennis Nurkse > [“She drew the things that stuck to her mind, the things that caught her attention and, specially, the things she wasn't capable of understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/z-e-haslie/she-drew-the-things-that-stuck-to-her-mind-the-things-that-caught-her/) [Zøe Haslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/z-e-haslie/) > [“Teaching is a performing art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-biffle/teaching-is-a-performing-art/) Chris Biffle > [In opera, as with any performing art, to be in great demand and to command high fees you must be good of course, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/in-opera-as-with-any-performing-art-to-be-in-great-demand-and-to/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [I didn't know I wanted to act until it was around 21. I had just come back to Los Angeles after two and half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caity-lotz/i-didn-t-know-i-wanted-to-act-until-it-was-around-21-i-had-just-come/) [Caity Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caity-lotz/) > [“The best teaching is often both an intellectual creation and a performing art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bain/the-best-teaching-is-often-both-an-intellectual-creation-and-a/) [Ken Bain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bain/) > [You should not think of business while performing your art. This advice holds true for every artiste, irrespective of what he is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himesh-reshammiya/you-should-not-think-of-business-while-performing-your-art-this/) [Himesh Reshammiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himesh-reshammiya/) > [I feel that performing is its own art form, and recording is its own art form, and writing is its own art form, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrianne-lenker/i-feel-that-performing-is-its-own-art-form-and-recording-is-its-own/) [Adrianne Lenker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrianne-lenker/) > [I think the most important thing is to establish myself as an actor. As much as it's a performing art, I'm not really a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zac-efron/i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-to-establish-myself-as-an-actor/) [Zac Efron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zac-efron/) > [Music is a performing art, as any Native American will tell you. It isn't there in the score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/music-is-a-performing-art-as-any-native-american-will-tell-you-it-isn/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [And treating poetry as a performing art emphasizes its ephemerality. A printed poem can be endlessly reprinted, photocopied, scanned, uploaded, cut and pasted -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/and-treating-poetry-as-a-performing-art-emphasizes-its-ephemerality-a/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [Posing is a performing art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/posing-is-a-performing-art/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [I don't think I was ever thinking critically about my aesthetic, I think it's enough when you're little just to understand that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/i-don-t-think-i-was-ever-thinking-critically-about-my-aesthetic-i/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [Forever is a really long time, you know? What do you do with forever?" "The same thing you do when you don't have forever."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/forever-is-a-really-long-time-you-know-what-do-you-do-with-forever/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) ## More by Patton Oswalt > [The process is to me is going onstage night after night after night after night until I get a new hour. And then once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/the-process-is-to-me-is-going-onstage-night-after-night-after-night/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [I can't say that I ever abided nerd stereotypes: I was never alone or felt outcast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-can-t-say-that-i-ever-abided-nerd-stereotypes-i-was-never-alone-or/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [“If I hear the term ‘healing journey’ one more f–king time… It is not a ‘healing journey.’ It’s a ‘numb slog.’ It’s just a,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/if-i-hear-the-term-healing-journey-one-more-f-king-time-it-is-not-a/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [I wish I had a really cool, esoteric answer, but what the process is to me is going onstage night after night after night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-wish-i-had-a-really-cool-esoteric-answer-but-what-the-process-is-to/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [If I were to just focus on stand-up, I could actually, paradoxically enough, be home way more, because I would leave on a Friday,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/if-i-were-to-just-focus-on-stand-up-i-could-actually-paradoxically/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [“hobos' (a slang term that combines the words 'hope' and 'bowl of beans given to me for free by a woman who then initiated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/hobos-a-slang-term-that-combines-the-words-hope-and-bowl-of-beans/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [As much as I know people love the method and what you can draw out of yourself, a lot of acting is very imaginative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/as-much-as-i-know-people-love-the-method-and-what-you-can-draw-out-of/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [We're rewarding either the reality or the appearance of youth, which is why you have all these people in their fifties trying to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/we-re-rewarding-either-the-reality-or-the-appearance-of-youth-which/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [With a comedian, it's the opposite. You put that album out, and they've heard it. If they're coming out to see you, you'd better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/with-a-comedian-it-s-the-opposite-you-put-that-album-out-and-they-ve/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [If you actually do cold readings, it's very close to how people actually talk, because you're experiencing these thoughts anew every moment, and trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/if-you-actually-do-cold-readings-it-s-very-close-to-how-people/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [What I was trying to say in that bit, without saying it out loud, is that there were things - you're right, everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/what-i-was-trying-to-say-in-that-bit-without-saying-it-out-loud-is/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [Is it bad when you refer to all alcohol as "Pain Go Bye-Bye Juice"?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/is-it-bad-when-you-refer-to-all-alcohol-as-pain-go-bye-bye-juice/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [It wasn't until I went to college and met different people from different areas of life - and then went to San Francisco and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/it-wasn-t-until-i-went-to-college-and-met-different-people-from/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [I have a lot of friends who were stand-ups, and they just stopped after a while, because they didn't like that battle, or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-have-a-lot-of-friends-who-were-stand-ups-and-they-just-stopped/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [I have a very tiny house in Burbank. I drive an 8-year-old car. I'm gonna drive it into the ground. I enjoy what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-have-a-very-tiny-house-in-burbank-i-drive-an-8-year-old-car-i-m/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) [Explore all 150 Patton Oswalt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think I realized it was an art form at the beginning, but it took me a really long time before I was able to view what I was performing myself as an art form.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patton Oswalt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at-the-beginning-but-it-took-me/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at-the-beginning-but-it-took-me/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/patton-oswalt-2795_able_i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at_115438.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/patton-oswalt-2795_able_i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at_115438.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/patton-oswalt-2795_able_i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at_115438.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think I realized it was an art form at the beginning, but it took me a really long time before I was able…” — Patton Oswalt", "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": "Patton Oswalt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think I realized it was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at-the-beginning-but-it-took-me/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-think-i-realized-it-was-an-art-form-at-the-beginning-but-it-took-me/#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 } } ] } ```