--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would wake up at night and think, 'What…" description: "\"I would wake up at night and think, 'What the hell have I gotten myself into? You don't want to do that!' But you gotta do something, and with art, the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/richard-artschwager-57919_art_i-would-wake-up-at-night-and-think-what_1051142.jpg" --- # I would wake up at night and think, 'What the hell have I… ![“I would wake up at night and think, 'What the hell have I gotten myself into? You don't want to do that!' But you gotta do something, and with art, there's freedom - which is actually very seldom practiced by artists.” quote by Richard Artschwager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/richard-artschwager-57919_art_i-would-wake-up-at-night-and-think-what_1051142.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/richard-artschwager-57919_art_i-would-wake-up-at-night-and-think-what_1051142.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/richard-artschwager-57919_art_i-would-wake-up-at-night-and-think-what_1051142.jpg) > “I would wake up at night and think, 'What the hell have I gotten myself into? You don't want to do that!' But you gotta do something, and with art, there's freedom - which is actually very seldom practiced by artists.” [Richard Artschwager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-artschwager/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Late‑night doubts arise, yet artistic freedom compels action despite fear and rarity of true liberty. **In simple terms:** Doubt meets artistic freedom. Key Takeaway Act despite fear, seek creative liberty. Themes self‑doubt creativity freedom action artist’s struggle Mood determined hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - studio practice - personal crises - career decisions - creative blocks Key Concepts risk‑taking self‑discipline creative expression Questions to Reflect On - What fears hold you back from creating? - How can you cultivate freedom in routine? A Different Perspective Freedom is often limited by external constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wake up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-up/) ## Related quotes > [My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is never about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/my-definition-of-art-has-always-been-the-same-it-is-about-freedom-of-3/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Can you believe that, to say that ours is the only path when the fundamental thing in art is freedom! In art, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufino-tamayo/can-you-believe-that-to-say-that-ours-is-the-only-path-when-the/) Rufino Tamayo > [My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is never about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/my-definition-of-art-has-always-been-the-same-it-is-about-freedom-of-2/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [ My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression \[…\] I don’t think anybody can separate art from… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/my-definition-of-art-has-always-been-the-same-it-is-about-freedom-of/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Art is freedom. If you defend art, you defend freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithy-panh/art-is-freedom-if-you-defend-art-you-defend-freedom/) [Rithy Panh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithy-panh/) > [Art is on the side of the oppressed. Think before you shudder at the simplistic dictum and its heretical definition of the freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/art-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-think-before-you-shudder-at-the/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Most great art is freedom within form. Without form, we are amateurs, without freedom, we are robots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/most-great-art-is-freedom-within-form-without-form-we-are-amateurs/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Art is freedom. If we don't have that element, we don't feel human anymore. Art is not decoration or a function. Before all that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haris-pasovic/art-is-freedom-if-we-don-t-have-that-element-we-don-t-feel-human/) [Haris Pasovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haris-pasovic/) > [Art is about freedom of expression, and should not be molded to fit any propaganda or lofty ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/art-is-about-freedom-of-expression-and-should-not-be-molded-to-fit/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“to every age its art; to art its freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-every-age-its-art-to-art-its-freedom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In peace, continue your art; in war, continue your art; in freedom, continue your art; in captivity, continue your art!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/in-peace-continue-your-art-in-war-continue-your-art-in-freedom/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pinchuk/art-freedom-and-creativity-will-change-society-faster-than-politics/) [Victor Pinchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pinchuk/) > [Freedom in art, freedom in society, this is the double goal towards which all consistent and logical minds must strive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/freedom-in-art-freedom-in-society-this-is-the-double-goal-towards/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [To understand Occupy Wall Street, you have to understand artists. Art is freedom - freedom of expression - and its message has resonated through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-m-brant/to-understand-occupy-wall-street-you-have-to-understand-artists-art/) [Peter M. Brant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-m-brant/) > [In the night all I think about is you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-ramkran/in-the-night-all-i-think-about-is-you/) [Christine Ramkran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-ramkran/) ## More by Richard Artschwager > [Sculpture is for the touch, painting is for the eye. I wanted to make a sculpture for the eye and a painting for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-artschwager/sculpture-is-for-the-touch-painting-is-for-the-eye-i-wanted-to-make-a/) [Richard Artschwager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-artschwager/) > [There isn't any art until some creature sees and consumes it. And has a reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-artschwager/there-isn-t-any-art-until-some-creature-sees-and-consumes-it-and-has/) [Richard Artschwager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-artschwager/) > [The drawing is already partly there - it's in the paper. And the paper is talking before you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-artschwager/the-drawing-is-already-partly-there-it-s-in-the-paper-and-the-paper/) [Richard Artschwager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-artschwager/) > [I use visual perception as a way of bringing people into my space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-artschwager/i-use-visual-perception-as-a-way-of-bringing-people-into-my-space/) [Richard Artschwager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-artschwager/) > [My most important quality or property is curiosity. And that had its beginning in what I was going to do with my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-artschwager/my-most-important-quality-or-property-is-curiosity-and-that-had-its/) [Richard Artschwager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-artschwager/) [Explore all 6 Richard Artschwager quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-artschwager/) ## 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 > [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 would wake up at night and think, 'What the hell have I gotten myself into? 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