--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that's an important lesson for…" description: "\"I think that's an important lesson for young people who want to be artists: You have to find someone who believes in you and who will help you find tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/ryan-mcginley-10307_art_i-think-that-s-an-important-lesson-for-y_664994.jpg" --- # I think that's an important lesson for young people who… ![“I think that's an important lesson for young people who want to be artists: You have to find someone who believes in you and who will help you find that time where you don't have to think about a job but just making work. If I didn't have those people in my life, I wouldn't be in the position I'm…” quote by Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/ryan-mcginley-10307_art_i-think-that-s-an-important-lesson-for-y_664994.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/ryan-mcginley-10307_art_i-think-that-s-an-important-lesson-for-y_664994.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0f/ryan-mcginley-10307_art_i-think-that-s-an-important-lesson-for-y_664994.jpg) > “I think that's an important lesson for young people who want to be artists: You have to find someone who believes in you and who will help you find that time where you don't have to think about a job but just making work. If I didn't have those people in my life, I wouldn't be in the position I'm in.” [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists need supportive mentors who free them to create without commercial pressure. **In simple terms:** Find supportive mentors. Key Takeaway Seek mentors who nurture creativity. Themes creativity mentorship artistic freedom Mood inspirational encouraging Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - artist residencies - collaborative projects - grant applications Key Concepts community building career development Questions to Reflect On - Who in your life encourages your art? - What would you create without fear of work? A Different Perspective Mentors may have conflicting visions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [The more freedom artists have to do what they want to do, the more they do what other artists are doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/the-more-freedom-artists-have-to-do-what-they-want-to-do-the-more/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [I don't want artists to find themselves in a situation where there are only two buyers. That just doesn't seem like a good outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landgraf/i-don-t-want-artists-to-find-themselves-in-a-situation-where-there/) [John Landgraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landgraf/) > [People who are artists professionally are not artists because they want to be artists; they have to be artists. They're compelled to get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stokes-mitchell/people-who-are-artists-professionally-are-not-artists-because-they/) [Brian Stokes Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stokes-mitchell/) > [Shooting is a lost art. I want to be one of the artists who is remembered for a long, long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-redd/shooting-is-a-lost-art-i-want-to-be-one-of-the-artists-who-is/) [Michael Redd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-redd/) > [We don't necessarily need so many artists. I recommend that many of the people who think they want to be artists should go into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolee-schneemann/we-don-t-necessarily-need-so-many-artists-i-recommend-that-many-of/) [Carolee Schneemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolee-schneemann/) > [We want artists to stay in London. It's very important culturally and economically, but there are lots of challenges in terms of finding space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munira-mirza/we-want-artists-to-stay-in-london-it-s-very-important-culturally-and/) [Munira Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munira-mirza/) > [If politicians can't do it, I want to do it. We have to do it. Artists, put it in paintings. Poets, put it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/if-politicians-can-t-do-it-i-want-to-do-it-we-have-to-do-it-artists/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Each year, more people want to become artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/each-year-more-people-want-to-become-artists/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I want so many artists that I care about to go away and grow up, and have been amazed at how hard that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/i-want-so-many-artists-that-i-care-about-to-go-away-and-grow-up-and/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [There's very few geniuses that come and revolutionize everything. For the rest of us that want to be artists and have something to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/there-s-very-few-geniuses-that-come-and-revolutionize-everything-for/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [A lot of people who want to be serious artists probably don't want to go for a talent show, but it is a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-walsh/a-lot-of-people-who-want-to-be-serious-artists-probably-don-t-want-to/) [Louis Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-walsh/) > [I very often think about doing things that I would want other artists to do. Like, if I'm a fan of whoever, I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/i-very-often-think-about-doing-things-that-i-would-want-other-artists/) [Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/) > [The Irish seem to want their artists to function as surrogate priests - sources of authority, founts of wisdom, people who will offer us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-johnston/the-irish-seem-to-want-their-artists-to-function-as-surrogate-priests/) Alex Johnston > [I want artists to tell their story and share their life experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bushwick-bill/i-want-artists-to-tell-their-story-and-share-their-life-experience/) [Bushwick Bill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bushwick-bill/) > [My ambition is we want artists to be able to afford to create the music they want to create, and if it takes them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ek/my-ambition-is-we-want-artists-to-be-able-to-afford-to-create-the/) [Daniel Ek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ek/) ## More by Ryan McGinley > [A lot of people, even my parents, thought, "Art school, I don't know. We'll support you but the success rate for artists is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/a-lot-of-people-even-my-parents-thought-art-school-i-don-t-know-we-ll/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [I want to venture into film more, and I think that a nice way to transition into doing that would be a documentary. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/i-want-to-venture-into-film-more-and-i-think-that-a-nice-way-to/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [I knew my ticket out of the suburbs was art school, so I worked really hard to develop my portfolio and get a scholarship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/i-knew-my-ticket-out-of-the-suburbs-was-art-school-so-i-worked-really/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [You find the people that you need to find. There's this gravitational pull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/you-find-the-people-that-you-need-to-find-there-s-this-gravitational/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [I spent all of my money on film. I remember I would do these set-design jobs or transcribe or just anything to get, like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/i-spent-all-of-my-money-on-film-i-remember-i-would-do-these-set/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [My photographs are a celebration of life, fun and the beautiful. They are a world that doesn't exist. A fantasy. Freedom is real. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/my-photographs-are-a-celebration-of-life-fun-and-the-beautiful-they/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [I'm always interested in an atmosphere where dreams and reality mingle on equal terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/i-m-always-interested-in-an-atmosphere-where-dreams-and-reality/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [The cool thing for me about moving to New York was that I got to create a new family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/the-cool-thing-for-me-about-moving-to-new-york-was-that-i-got-to/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [Actually, I didn't study photography at first. I went to school for painting my first year, poetry my second year, graphic design my third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/actually-i-didn-t-study-photography-at-first-i-went-to-school-for/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [I didn't have much of a life in crime as a graffiti writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/i-didn-t-have-much-of-a-life-in-crime-as-a-graffiti-writer/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [You have to be able to observe life as if you were a camera all the time, constantly looking at light and the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/you-have-to-be-able-to-observe-life-as-if-you-were-a-camera-all-the/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [Just having the camera, being able to pull back from situations and be an observer, it saved my life... I realised I could find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/just-having-the-camera-being-able-to-pull-back-from-situations-and-be/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [All I do is make photos. It's my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/all-i-do-is-make-photos-it-s-my-life/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [I was growing up in the suburbs; I was one of eight kids. So I did have a community when I was younger, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/i-was-growing-up-in-the-suburbs-i-was-one-of-eight-kids-so-i-did-have/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) > [I slowly began making a few photos with animals over the years, and I liked how people reacted to them. When I would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcginley/i-slowly-began-making-a-few-photos-with-animals-over-the-years-and-i/) [Ryan McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) [Explore all 66 Ryan McGinley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcginley/) ## 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 think that's an important lesson for young people who want to be artists: You have to find someone who believes in you and who will help you find that time where you don't have to think about a job but just making work. 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