--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Personally, I see little distinction…" description: "\"Personally, I see little distinction between an artistic mentality and criminality. You couldn't possibly create a compelling story without some wicked..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/456/russell-smith-9877_art_personally-i-see-little-distinction-betw_2207714.jpg" --- # Personally, I see little distinction between an artistic… ![“Personally, I see little distinction between an artistic mentality and criminality. You couldn't possibly create a compelling story without some wickedness or some fascination with the disgusting. Being good is a hindrance to a writer.” quote by Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/456/russell-smith-9877_art_personally-i-see-little-distinction-betw_2207714.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/456/russell-smith-9877_art_personally-i-see-little-distinction-betw_2207714.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/456/russell-smith-9877_art_personally-i-see-little-distinction-betw_2207714.jpg) > “Personally, I see little distinction between an artistic mentality and criminality. You couldn't possibly create a compelling story without some wickedness or some fascination with the disgusting. Being good is a hindrance to a writer.” [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that artistic creativity often embraces darkness, suggesting moral goodness can limit a writer's ability to explore compelling, unsettling themes. **In simple terms:** Art may need darkness; goodness can limit writers. Key Takeaway Embrace complexity, not moral purity. Themes creativity morality artistic expression Mood reflective provocative Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - writing fiction - screenwriting - journalism - visual arts - music composition Key Concepts existentialism psychology censorship Questions to Reflect On - How does moral comfort affect your creative choices? - Can darkness enhance narrative depth? A Different Perspective Moral restraint may suppress authentic storytelling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Criminality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminality/) [Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction/) [Fascination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascination/) [Mentality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentality/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Wickedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wickedness/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“As a matter of fact, no one is more tiresome than the person who can understand only realism in art. 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