--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You should be able to look at me and see…" description: "\"You should be able to look at me and see my work. You should be able to look at my work and see me.\" — Roy DeCarava" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/roy-decarava-35963_able_you-should-be-able-to-look-at-me-and-see_1348438.jpg" --- # You should be able to look at me and see my work. You… ![“You should be able to look at me and see my work. You should be able to look at my work and see me.” quote by Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/roy-decarava-35963_able_you-should-be-able-to-look-at-me-and-see_1348438.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/roy-decarava-35963_able_you-should-be-able-to-look-at-me-and-see_1348438.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/roy-decarava-35963_able_you-should-be-able-to-look-at-me-and-see_1348438.jpg) > “You should be able to look at me and see my work. You should be able to look at my work and see me.” [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Your personal presence should be reflected in the work you create, and vice versa. **In simple terms:** Your work should reveal you. Key Takeaway Make your work a true extension of yourself. Themes identity authenticity craft Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - portfolio review - artist statement - client presentation Key Concepts self‑expression visual storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How does your work convey who you are? - What aspects of yourself are hidden in your creations? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Able Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able-look/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Look at me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-at-me/) [Look Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-work/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-able-958143/) ## Related quotes > [I should tear your eyes out right now, but how would you ever be able to look at yourself in the morning?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/little-black-book/i-should-tear-your-eyes-out-right-now-but-how-would-you-ever-be-able/) [Little Black Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/little-black-book/) > [I know what I bring to the table, I know my work. That's why I'm able to push for what I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-adesanya/i-know-what-i-bring-to-the-table-i-know-my-work-that-s-why-i-m-able/) [Israel Adesanya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-adesanya/) > [What I have learned in my life and work is that the more I am able to be myself, the more it enables other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/what-i-have-learned-in-my-life-and-work-is-that-the-more-i-am-able-to/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [The best work that I am able to do is when I am willing to write about questions I haven't quite figured out, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-karam/the-best-work-that-i-am-able-to-do-is-when-i-am-willing-to-write/) [Stephen Karam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-karam/) > [I am extremely lucky, and I enjoy the level of work that I am able to work at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-lewis/i-am-extremely-lucky-and-i-enjoy-the-level-of-work-that-i-am-able-to/) [Damian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-lewis/) > [I'm particularly fortunate to be in a position where I can bring my child to work and be able to get good child care.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-louis-dreyfus/i-m-particularly-fortunate-to-be-in-a-position-where-i-can-bring-my/) [Julia Louis-Dreyfus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-louis-dreyfus/) > [You're not best friends with someone just because you work with them, but you have to be able to at least work together, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-bronze/you-re-not-best-friends-with-someone-just-because-you-work-with-them/) [Lucy Bronze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-bronze/) > [I know that in my own work I'm able to do all kinds of things I never thought I'd be able to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/i-know-that-in-my-own-work-i-m-able-to-do-all-kinds-of-things-i-never/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [“..all I understand about living is having your work to do, and being able to do it. That's the pleasure, and the glory, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/all-i-understand-about-living-is-having-your-work-to-do-and-being/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [You've got to be willing to work, and if you're willing to work, you should be able to get ahead and stay ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/you-ve-got-to-be-willing-to-work-and-if-you-re-willing-to-work-you/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I'm very fortunate, as there are a lot of people who work with me; otherwise, I'd never be able to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginevra-elkann/i-m-very-fortunate-as-there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-work-with-me/) [Ginevra Elkann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginevra-elkann/) > [If there's anything I'm not pompous about, it's myself or my work. But I seem to be able to play it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/if-there-s-anything-i-m-not-pompous-about-it-s-myself-or-my-work-but/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [I don't like repeating things and look out for work that could challenge me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-massey/i-don-t-like-repeating-things-and-look-out-for-work-that-could/) [Vikrant Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-massey/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Know matter how hard life gets you should always be able to look at the one you love with a smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lessard/know-matter-how-hard-life-gets-you-should-always-be-able-to-look-at/) [Daniel Lessard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lessard/) ## More by Roy DeCarava > [There were no black images of dignity, no images of beautiful black people. There was this big hole. I tried to fill it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/there-were-no-black-images-of-dignity-no-images-of-beautiful-black/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [My photographs are subjective and personal-they’r e intended to be accessible, to relate to people’s lives... People-their well-being and survival-are the crux of what’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/my-photographs-are-subjective-and-personal-they-r-e-intended-to-be/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [I don't really think that the technique really determines the veracity of the image. It's what the image does to the viewer that determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/i-don-t-really-think-that-the-technique-really-determines-the/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [The artist is a kind of a seer and by nature he is optimistic because he believes in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/the-artist-is-a-kind-of-a-seer-and-by-nature-he-is-optimistic-because/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [It's the not the subject that interests me as much as my perception of the subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/it-s-the-not-the-subject-that-interests-me-as-much-as-my-perception/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [Seeing your work on the wall is like the ultimate thing that can happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/seeing-your-work-on-the-wall-is-like-the-ultimate-thing-that-can/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [I try to photograph things that are near to me because I work best among things I know. I'm not concerned with startling anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/i-try-to-photograph-things-that-are-near-to-me-because-i-work-best/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [But if it's true it's beautiful. Truth is beautiful. And so my whole work is about what amounts to a reverence for life itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/but-if-it-s-true-it-s-beautiful-truth-is-beautiful-and-so-my-whole/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [Artists are a very important part of our society because they make a great contribution to our values. The artist creates a value system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/artists-are-a-very-important-part-of-our-society-because-they-make-a/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [The artist creates the material that we look back upon as part of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/the-artist-creates-the-material-that-we-look-back-upon-as-part-of/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [For me, photography must be visual, rather than intellectual and ideological.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/for-me-photography-must-be-visual-rather-than-intellectual-and/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) > [A photograph is a photograph, a picture, an image, an illusion complete within itself, depending neither on words, reproductive processes or anything else for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-decarava/a-photograph-is-a-photograph-a-picture-an-image-an-illusion-complete/) [Roy DeCarava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) [Explore all 13 Roy DeCarava quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-decarava/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You should be able to look at me and see my work. 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