--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think you can prevent an artist…" description: "\"I don't think you can prevent an artist from being and I don't think you can cause one to be. No one knows what makes an artist.\" — Robert Engman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/robert-engman-95024_art_i-don-t-think-you-can-prevent-an-artist_46410.png" --- # I don't think you can prevent an artist from being and I… ![“I don't think you can prevent an artist from being and I don't think you can cause one to be. No one knows what makes an artist.” quote by Robert Engman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/robert-engman-95024_art_i-don-t-think-you-can-prevent-an-artist_46410.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/robert-engman-95024_art_i-don-t-think-you-can-prevent-an-artist_46410.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/robert-engman-95024_art_i-don-t-think-you-can-prevent-an-artist_46410.png) > “I don't think you can prevent an artist from being and I don't think you can cause one to be. No one knows what makes an artist.” Robert Engman ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The nature of artistry cannot be forced or predetermined; it is an innate mystery beyond control or causation **In simple terms:** Artists cannot be made or forced Key Takeaway Acknowledge the mystery of creativity Themes art creativity free will identity human nature Mood contemplative philosophical curious Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - artistic development - education - personal growth Key Concepts self-determination talent inspiration Questions to Reflect On - What defines an artist beyond innate talent? - Can external factors shape artistic identity? A Different Perspective Some argue environment influences artistic development ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think if we can prevent a fatal disease, we should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-pisani/i-think-if-we-can-prevent-a-fatal-disease-we-should/) [Elizabeth Pisani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-pisani/) > [So we're all right, an' I, for one, Don't think our cause'll lose in vally By rammin' Scriptur' in our gun, An' gittin' Natur'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/so-we-re-all-right-an-i-for-one-don-t-think-our-cause-ll-lose-in/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [I don't have any interest to go to Israel. I don't think I'd ever have a cause to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/i-don-t-have-any-interest-to-go-to-israel-i-don-t-think-i-d-ever-have/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [By thinking a little bit higher than you think can be the cause of change in your fate, fact!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farid/by-thinking-a-little-bit-higher-than-you-think-can-be-the-cause-of/) [Farid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farid/) > [If you think the cause of your problem is 'out there,' you'll try to solve it from the outside. Take the shortcut: solve it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/if-you-think-the-cause-of-your-problem-is-out-there-you-ll-try-to/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Every man may think his own cause just till it be heard and judged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/every-man-may-think-his-own-cause-just-till-it-be-heard-and-judged/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [I wanna be an artist on the whole; I don't wanna be within a genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yungblud/i-wanna-be-an-artist-on-the-whole-i-don-t-wanna-be-within-a-genre/) [Yungblud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yungblud/) > [When I say artist I don't meanin the narrow sense of the wordbut the man who is building thingscreating molding the earthwhether itbe the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/when-i-say-artist-i-don-t-meanin-the-narrow-sense-of-the-wordbut-the/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [I used to tell everyone I met to be an artist… I don't do that any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banksy/i-used-to-tell-everyone-i-met-to-be-an-artist-i-don-t-do-that-any-more/) [Banksy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banksy/) > [She's got everything she needs, she's an artist, she don't look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/she-s-got-everything-she-needs-she-s-an-artist-she-don-t-look-back/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Inside you there's an artist you don't know about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/inside-you-there-s-an-artist-you-don-t-know-about/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Be an artist. Don't say it, do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-gompertz/be-an-artist-don-t-say-it-do-it/) [Will Gompertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-gompertz/) > [The only thing that makes one an artist is making art. And that requires the precise opposite of hanging out; a deeply lonely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/the-only-thing-that-makes-one-an-artist-is-making-art-and-that/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [That is the most important thing to me, what happens behind the closed doors in the studio and makes me an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/that-is-the-most-important-thing-to-me-what-happens-behind-the-closed/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [At the end of the day, I don't know what makes any artist say what he says. Everyone has a reason for whatever it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/at-the-end-of-the-day-i-don-t-know-what-makes-any-artist-say-what-he/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) ## More by Robert Engman > [A piece of art is never a finished work. It answers a question which has been asked, and asks a new question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-engman/a-piece-of-art-is-never-a-finished-work-it-answers-a-question-which/) Robert Engman Explore all 2 Robert Engman quotes ## 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. 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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 don't think you can prevent an artist from being and I don't think you can cause one to be. 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