--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In painting, the key is not taking myself…" description: "\"In painting, the key is not taking myself seriously to the point where it kills sincerity.\" — Scott Avett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/scott-avett-29364_artist_in-painting-the-key-is-not-taking-myself_2245472.jpg" --- # In painting, the key is not taking myself seriously to the… ![“In painting, the key is not taking myself seriously to the point where it kills sincerity.” quote by Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/scott-avett-29364_artist_in-painting-the-key-is-not-taking-myself_2245472.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/scott-avett-29364_artist_in-painting-the-key-is-not-taking-myself_2245472.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/scott-avett-29364_artist_in-painting-the-key-is-not-taking-myself_2245472.jpg) > “In painting, the key is not taking myself seriously to the point where it kills sincerity.” [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art thrives when ego is set aside, preserving genuine expression. **In simple terms:** Don't take art too seriously. Key Takeaway Stay humble in creation. Themes humility creativity authenticity Mood reflective inspirational Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - painting workshops - personal projects - collaborations Key Concepts ego sincerity artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - How does humility affect your work? - Can seriousness ever be useful? A Different Perspective Ego can still hinder confidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Sincerity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincerity/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [I am never usually taking myself too seriously and I think that people when they read stuff from me, they have to realise that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/i-am-never-usually-taking-myself-too-seriously-and-i-think-that/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [“So my hope, each day as I grow older, is that this will never be simply chronological aging . . . but that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/so-my-hope-each-day-as-i-grow-older-is-that-this-will-never-be-simply/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I have had all I can stand of not taking myself seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-have-had-all-i-can-stand-of-not-taking-myself-seriously/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“If we’re going to become kinder, that process has to include taking ourselves seriously—as doers, as accomplishers, as dreamers. 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I think they need to look around and stop taking themselves so seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/the-nba-s-chosen-ones-think-i-m-setting-a-bad-example-i-think-they/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [Other actors have come up and told me that I don't take my work seriously. How am I not taking it seriously? Ask the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riya-sen/other-actors-have-come-up-and-told-me-that-i-don-t-take-my-work/) [Riya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riya-sen/) > [Taking me seriously is a big mistake. I certainly wouldn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/taking-me-seriously-is-a-big-mistake-i-certainly-wouldn-t/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [There is no point in taking yourself too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayushmann-khurrana/there-is-no-point-in-taking-yourself-too-seriously/) [Ayushmann Khurrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayushmann-khurrana/) > [Not taking yourself seriously is one of the most elegant things in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-owens/not-taking-yourself-seriously-is-one-of-the-most-elegant-things-in/) [Rick Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-owens/) > [If you start taking yourself more seriously than you do God then there's a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/if-you-start-taking-yourself-more-seriously-than-you-do-god-then/) [Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/) ## More by Scott Avett > [I have always considered myself an artist and painting was the first medium that I claimed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/i-have-always-considered-myself-an-artist-and-painting-was-the-first/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [In the world of music, the audience is not just fans of music; they're fans of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/in-the-world-of-music-the-audience-is-not-just-fans-of-music-they-re/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [If humor is not present, I tend to be concerned about the artist, or distrusting of what they're presenting - unless there is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/if-humor-is-not-present-i-tend-to-be-concerned-about-the-artist-or/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [Women of all looks, shapes, sizes, everything, if they recognize how beautiful they are-because they all are-then they carry it that way. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/women-of-all-looks-shapes-sizes-everything-if-they-recognize-how/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [In the music world, when we're making work, we are obligated to no longer be completely free from what we are to someone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/in-the-music-world-when-we-re-making-work-we-are-obligated-to-no/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [We have to continue to grow within and outwardly. We have to keep going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/we-have-to-continue-to-grow-within-and-outwardly-we-have-to-keep-going/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [One of the things that I love about painting is that I never consider myself to have an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/one-of-the-things-that-i-love-about-painting-is-that-i-never-consider/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [It was Rick's Rubin idea to have the 'Brooklyn' verse repeat. 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But Louis Armstrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/i-had-a-dream-that-louis-armstrong-was-playing-the-swept-away-melody/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [Sometimes I'm extremely afraid of the unknown, but I'm so grateful to be on that journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/sometimes-i-m-extremely-afraid-of-the-unknown-but-i-m-so-grateful-to/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [Whether it's about children or not, we have to move forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/whether-it-s-about-children-or-not-we-have-to-move-forward/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [I very much enjoyed Leo Tolstoy's What is Art? I can't quote it, it's been a while, but at the end of the day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/i-very-much-enjoyed-leo-tolstoy-s-what-is-art-i-can-t-quote-it-it-s/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [I think everyone on the planet is a fan of a painting because everyone is a fan of visual stimulation, but I've had freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/i-think-everyone-on-the-planet-is-a-fan-of-a-painting-because/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [When it comes to performing and entertaining, the art removes itself from the writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/when-it-comes-to-performing-and-entertaining-the-art-removes-itself/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) [Explore all 18 Scott Avett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“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 > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [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 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/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. 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