--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Contrary to popular belief, all evolving…" description: "\"Contrary to popular belief, all evolving artists are in a full time battle with mediocrity.\" — Robert Genn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b70/robert-genn-2179_art_contrary-to-popular-belief-all-evolving_2534470.png" --- # Contrary to popular belief, all evolving artists are in a… ![“Contrary to popular belief, all evolving artists are in a full time battle with mediocrity.” quote by Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b70/robert-genn-2179_art_contrary-to-popular-belief-all-evolving_2534470.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b70/robert-genn-2179_art_contrary-to-popular-belief-all-evolving_2534470.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b70/robert-genn-2179_art_contrary-to-popular-belief-all-evolving_2534470.png) > “Contrary to popular belief, all evolving artists are in a full time battle with mediocrity.” [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists constantly battle mediocrity, driving evolution and improvement in their work. **In simple terms:** Artists fight mediocrity to evolve. Key Takeaway Embrace the struggle for growth. Themes art creativity mediocrity growth discipline Mood determined encouraging Type inspirational creative When to use this quote - studio practice - portfolio reviews - art workshops Key Concepts self-critique skill development inspiration Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to push beyond mediocrity? - How does struggle fuel artistic innovation? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stifle experimentation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Battle Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle-mediocrity-1375405/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Contrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary/) [Contrary Popular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary-popular-1075825/) [Contrary to popular belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary-to-popular-belief/) [Evolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolve/) [Evolving Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolving-artists-1375404/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Contrary to popular belief, "Damn It" is not God's last name”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/construction-wall-philadelphia/contrary-to-popular-belief-damn-it-is-not-god-s-last-name/) [Construction wall Philadelphia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/construction-wall-philadelphia/) > [I'm not particularly fond of kissing strange men-contrary to popular belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-m-not-particularly-fond-of-kissing-strange-men-contrary-to-popular/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [Really, contrary to popular belief, I like to have a good time and not take myself too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-gyllenhaal/really-contrary-to-popular-belief-i-like-to-have-a-good-time-and-not/) [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-gyllenhaal/) > [“Contrary to popular belief, you can make people think, but they will hate you for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rozoff/contrary-to-popular-belief-you-can-make-people-think-but-they-will/) [James Rozoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rozoff/) > [Contrary to popular belief, I don't just play dreadful old villains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-curry/contrary-to-popular-belief-i-don-t-just-play-dreadful-old-villains/) [Tim Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-curry/) > [Contrary to popular belief, there are lots of actions on the part of Jefferson and Hemings that "speak" about the basic nature of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-gordon-reed/contrary-to-popular-belief-there-are-lots-of-actions-on-the-part-of/) [Annette Gordon-Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-gordon-reed/) > [Contrary to popular belief, I'm not always trying to stand out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-massenet/contrary-to-popular-belief-i-m-not-always-trying-to-stand-out/) [Natalie Massenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-massenet/) > [I like to make fun records. 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Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-fonteyn/great-artists-are-people-who-find-the-way-to-be-themselves-in-their/) [Margot Fonteyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-fonteyn/) > [Artists with serious aspirations need to be left alone to follow the course of their own imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/artists-with-serious-aspirations-need-to-be-left-alone-to-follow-the/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) ## More by Robert Genn > [We artists give daily thanks for the miracle of our planet and for the inclination and the capability to honour it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/we-artists-give-daily-thanks-for-the-miracle-of-our-planet-and-for/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Most of my contemporary grant-getters are now doing something other than painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/most-of-my-contemporary-grant-getters-are-now-doing-something-other/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Pushing yourself to extremes blows out the cobwebs of trusted habit. It shakes up what you know to be reliably safe and substitutes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/pushing-yourself-to-extremes-blows-out-the-cobwebs-of-trusted-habit/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Keep busy while you are waiting for something to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/keep-busy-while-you-are-waiting-for-something-to-happen/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Art is a course in personal development that has no reliable diploma and no known end. The pursuit of art instructs in beauty as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/art-is-a-course-in-personal-development-that-has-no-reliable-diploma/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Great paintings have gradations, large and small... They serve to lift the subject off the two-dimensionality of the canvas. 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Mountains are powerful, dangerous, beautiful, noble and mysterious. Mountains get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/mountains-in-all-their-moods-are-symbols-of-something-greater/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Our bodies, apart from their brilliant role as drawing exercises, are the temples of our being. Like the bodies of all fauna, they deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/our-bodies-apart-from-their-brilliant-role-as-drawing-exercises-are/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [When I'm in the studio I often hunger for the road. And when away I long for the efficiency of the studio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/when-i-m-in-the-studio-i-often-hunger-for-the-road-and-when-away-i/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [In life and art it's better to be an enthusiastic amateur than a jaded professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/in-life-and-art-it-s-better-to-be-an-enthusiastic-amateur-than-a/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) [Explore all 181 Robert Genn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) ## 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. 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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. 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