--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have always known that I wanted to work…" description: "\"I have always known that I wanted to work with youth through the arts and I believe the arts can help young people cope with hardship.\" — Renee Watson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/ren-e-watson-23046_art_i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-wor_1397160.jpg" --- # I have always known that I wanted to work with youth… ![“I have always known that I wanted to work with youth through the arts and I believe the arts can help young people cope with hardship.” quote by Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/ren-e-watson-23046_art_i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-wor_1397160.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/ren-e-watson-23046_art_i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-wor_1397160.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/ren-e-watson-23046_art_i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-wor_1397160.jpg) > “I have always known that I wanted to work with youth through the arts and I believe the arts can help young people cope with hardship.” [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artistic expression provides youth with tools to process and overcome hardship. **In simple terms:** Arts help young people cope. Key Takeaway Support arts programs for youth. Themes youth development arts mental health Mood hopeful empathetic Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - schools - community centers - after‑school programs - therapy sessions Key Concepts creative therapy emotional resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can art be integrated with other support services? - What barriers exist for youth accessing arts? A Different Perspective Arts alone may not address systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Arts Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arts-believe-844810/) [Arts Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arts-help-2632753/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-arts-3222820/) [Hardship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardship/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Work Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-youth-1430686/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) [Youth Arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth-arts-4886638/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that the arts make indispensable contributions to our understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/i-believe-that-the-arts-make-indispensable-contributions-to-our/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [Anything we can do to encourage our young people to celebrate the arts and believe in a career in the arts is wonderful for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-balaban/anything-we-can-do-to-encourage-our-young-people-to-celebrate-the/) [Liane Balaban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-balaban/) > [I believe that dance was the first art. A philosopher has said that dance and architecture were the first arts. I believe that dance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/i-believe-that-dance-was-the-first-art-a-philosopher-has-said-that/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [All the arts, music, the visual arts, acting and dancing arts, cooking arts, and I believe sports, will save the human race because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/all-the-arts-music-the-visual-arts-acting-and-dancing-arts-cooking/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [“Art is the bridge across the gap between peoples and cultures. Writing is one of the arts that can help link people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ray/art-is-the-bridge-across-the-gap-between-peoples-and-cultures-writing/) [Charles Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-ray/) > [The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said. When children are invited to disclose what a work of art helps them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-w-eisner/the-arts-help-children-learn-to-say-what-cannot-be-said-when-children/) [Elliot W. Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-w-eisner/) > [The arts help complete a person. I truly believe that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/the-arts-help-complete-a-person-i-truly-believe-that/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [There is an idea that a mind is wasted on the arts unless it makes you good in math or science. There is some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/there-is-an-idea-that-a-mind-is-wasted-on-the-arts-unless-it-makes/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Agriculture needs to be modernized so as to give work to youth, women and men from the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jovenel-moise/agriculture-needs-to-be-modernized-so-as-to-give-work-to-youth-women/) [Jovenel Moise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jovenel-moise/) > [I was obsessed with work in my youth. It's why I didn't get married until I was 38 and the reason I didn't have kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-ferris/i-was-obsessed-with-work-in-my-youth-it-s-why-i-didn-t-get-married/) [Pam Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-ferris/) > [“I’d love to work with the youth side, with the kids, because I’ve no pretensions that I’m ready to work at a higher level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillem-balague/i-d-love-to-work-with-the-youth-side-with-the-kids-because-i-ve-no/) [Guillem Balague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillem-balague/) > [I work with youth offenders in LA, I've heard them speak and see how music manipulates them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-bonet/i-work-with-youth-offenders-in-la-i-ve-heard-them-speak-and-see-how/) [Lisa Bonet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-bonet/) > [I used to work at a Youth Theater and I worked on directing a variation of 'Beauty and the Beast.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harris-dickinson/i-used-to-work-at-a-youth-theater-and-i-worked-on-directing-a/) [Harris Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harris-dickinson/) > [If my life is any example, the work that youth workers are doing is very, very important. It tends to get marginalized in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/if-my-life-is-any-example-the-work-that-youth-workers-are-doing-is/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [“What can we do in any hardship? We can hope with prayerful praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-can-we-do-in-any-hardship-we-can-hope-with-prayerful-praise/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) ## More by Renee Watson > [“The aroma from Mom’s chopped herbs and sprinkled spices swims through the house. The pots are shaking to a boil; the oven is warming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/the-aroma-from-mom-s-chopped-herbs-and-sprinkled-spices-swims-through/) [Renée Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [“I wonder if any of these boys ever sit in a room for boys' talk night and discuss how to treat women. Who teaches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/i-wonder-if-any-of-these-boys-ever-sit-in-a-room-for-boys-talk-night/) [Renée Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [Picture books are more difficult for me because it is telling a huge story in the least amount of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/picture-books-are-more-difficult-for-me-because-it-is-telling-a-huge/) [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [One important thing I take away daily is that for all the talk about what youth are not doing - especially young people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/one-important-thing-i-take-away-daily-is-that-for-all-the-talk-about/) [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [“But when I leave? It happens again. The shattering. And this makes me wonder if a black girl's life is only about being stitched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/but-when-i-leave-it-happens-again-the-shattering-and-this-makes-me/) [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [“I wonder how he felt at night. When the star-filled sky blanketed him, did he ever think about what his life was like before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/i-wonder-how-he-felt-at-night-when-the-star-filled-sky-blanketed-him/) [Renée Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [Post-publication I have been surprised at the limited resources publishers have to promote books. I certainly knew that being a new author, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/post-publication-i-have-been-surprised-at-the-limited-resources/) [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [“Those girls are not the opposite of me. We are perpendicular. We may be on different paths, yes. But there’s a place where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/those-girls-are-not-the-opposite-of-me-we-are-perpendicular-we-may-be/) [Renée Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [I have learned patience, for sure. Pre-publication is a long waiting game, especially for authors of picture books. We write the manuscript, sign the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/i-have-learned-patience-for-sure-pre-publication-is-a-long-waiting/) [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [Once I became an adult and started to pursue writing as a professional career, I realized my main characters were always young people. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/once-i-became-an-adult-and-started-to-pursue-writing-as-a/) [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [“Makes me feel like no matter how dressed up we are, no matter how respectful we are, some people will only see what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/makes-me-feel-like-no-matter-how-dressed-up-we-are-no-matter-how/) [Renée Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [In my writing I hope to have a balance between the good and bad, the hard and soft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/in-my-writing-i-hope-to-have-a-balance-between-the-good-and-bad-the/) [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [“And this makes me wonder if a black girl’s life is only about being stitched together and coming undone, being stitched together and coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/and-this-makes-me-wonder-if-a-black-girl-s-life-is-only-about-being/) [Renée Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [I teach young people how the arts can be used to stand up against injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/i-teach-young-people-how-the-arts-can-be-used-to-stand-up-against/) [Renee Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) > [“Sometimes it feels like I leave home a whole person, sent off with kisses from Mom, who is hanging her every hope on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/sometimes-it-feels-like-i-leave-home-a-whole-person-sent-off-with/) [Renée Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) [Explore all 26 Renee Watson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 have always known that I wanted to work with youth through the arts and I believe the arts can help young people cope with hardship.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Renee Watson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-work-with-youth-through-the-arts/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-work-with-youth-through-the-arts/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/ren-e-watson-23046_art_i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-wor_1397160.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/ren-e-watson-23046_art_i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-wor_1397160.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/ren-e-watson-23046_art_i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-wor_1397160.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have always known that I wanted to work with youth through the arts and I believe the arts can help young…” — Renee Watson", "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": "Renee Watson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-e-watson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have always known that I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-work-with-youth-through-the-arts/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-e-watson/i-have-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-work-with-youth-through-the-arts/#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 } } ] } ```