--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was an artist, and I could create…" description: "\"I was an artist, and I could create something, and that's what's stimulating.\" — Sergei Polunin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sergei-polunin-3855_art_i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-somet_2436025.jpg" --- # I was an artist, and I could create something, and that's… ![“I was an artist, and I could create something, and that's what's stimulating.” quote by Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sergei-polunin-3855_art_i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-somet_2436025.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sergei-polunin-3855_art_i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-somet_2436025.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sergei-polunin-3855_art_i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-somet_2436025.jpg) > “I was an artist, and I could create something, and that's what's stimulating.” [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating art fulfills a deep intrinsic drive, providing stimulation and purpose. **In simple terms:** Creating art fuels inner drive. Key Takeaway Engage in creative work for fulfillment. Themes creativity self‑expression motivation Mood inspired energetic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - visual arts - dance - writing - music composition Key Concepts Flow theory intrinsic motivation Questions to Reflect On - What project excites you now? - How does creation affect your mood? A Different Perspective Creative blocks can hinder stimulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ## Related quotes > [The artist must create himself or be born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-levertov/the-artist-must-create-himself-or-be-born-again/) [Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-levertov/) > [“I find creative ways to keep my life stimulating and exciting. I do what it takes to keep my joy aflame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-find-creative-ways-to-keep-my-life-stimulating-and-exciting-i-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're going to be an artist, you have to create music that moves you, and to not try to fit in so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikka-costa/if-you-re-going-to-be-an-artist-you-have-to-create-music-that-moves/) [Nikka Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikka-costa/) > [“You are divine, you are perfect, but as an artist, you create your own story and you have the illusion that the story is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz/you-are-divine-you-are-perfect-but-as-an-artist-you-create-your-own/) [Miguel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz/) > [The goal of an artist is to create the definitive work that cannot be surpassed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-goal-of-an-artist-is-to-create-the-definitive-work-that-cannot-be/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I believe strongly that the word 'protest' is no excuse for bad work. The artist must create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-believe-strongly-that-the-word-protest-is-no-excuse-for-bad-work/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [An artist must create. If she doesn't, she will become a menace to society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/an-artist-must-create-if-she-doesn-t-she-will-become-a-menace-to/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [A true artist could and should create till the day they die. You don't ever fail as an artist until you quit being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-keiber/a-true-artist-could-and-should-create-till-the-day-they-die-you-don-t/) Christian Keiber > [“To question the world around us and all its complexities is not blasphamy, but simply using the mind God gave us for its intended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-marrero/to-question-the-world-around-us-and-all-its-complexities-is-not/) [Cristina Marrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-marrero/) > [An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them. We live in an age when men treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/an-artist-should-create-beautiful-things-but-should-put-nothing-of/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Your best as an artist is to create something that resonates for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/your-best-as-an-artist-is-to-create-something-that-resonates-for-you/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [One of the beauties of being an artist is that you can create a whole new world, with circumstances that are better in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/one-of-the-beauties-of-being-an-artist-is-that-you-can-create-a-whole/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-rodin/the-artist-must-create-a-spark-before-he-can-make-a-fire-and-before/) [Auguste Rodin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-rodin/) > [Being beautiful can be a curse, especially if you want to be an artist and create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-lewis/being-beautiful-can-be-a-curse-especially-if-you-want-to-be-an-artist/) [Juliette Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-lewis/) > [ \[My\] goal as an artist is to create increasingly complex images with greater and greater clarity of form and intensity of vision. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ballen/my-goal-as-an-artist-is-to-create-increasingly-complex-images-with/) [Roger Ballen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ballen/) ## More by Sergei Polunin > [I wasted so many years just traveling and sitting in hotels, searching for things, not knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-wasted-so-many-years-just-traveling-and-sitting-in-hotels-searching/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [The Royal Ballet was good to me. They gave me everything I asked for. It's just... I felt tricked. I became a principal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-royal-ballet-was-good-to-me-they-gave-me-everything-i-asked-for/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I didn't want people to think I'm a dancer. I'm much more. I'm a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-didn-t-want-people-to-think-i-m-a-dancer-i-m-much-more-i-m-a-human/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [Art and war are opposites, so our goal as an artist is to build and create, not destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/art-and-war-are-opposites-so-our-goal-as-an-artist-is-to-build-and/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I normally don't regret. I enjoy everything, even if it's bad or good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-normally-don-t-regret-i-enjoy-everything-even-if-it-s-bad-or-good/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [What made my mind go free is that I wanted to become an artist. As soon as I said to myself, 'Oh I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/what-made-my-mind-go-free-is-that-i-wanted-to-become-an-artist-as/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I do get depressed sometimes, I don't know why. It's since I was a kid and it's just part of my personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-do-get-depressed-sometimes-i-don-t-know-why-it-s-since-i-was-a-kid/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I went and got a tattoo of James Dean on my shoulder without actually seeing him in any movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-went-and-got-a-tattoo-of-james-dean-on-my-shoulder-without-actually/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [The Sensorium Galaxy Planet of Motion is the future. We are memorizing dance because dance will exist in a virtual world forever. The Planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-sensorium-galaxy-planet-of-motion-is-the-future-we-are-memorizing/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [The Royal Ballet School looked after me very well, they were like my family, and the company gave me everything. But I was unhappy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-royal-ballet-school-looked-after-me-very-well-they-were-like-my/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [As soon as I said to myself, "Oh I'm not a dancer; I'm not an actor," it made me so free to do anything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/as-soon-as-i-said-to-myself-oh-i-m-not-a-dancer-i-m-not-an-actor-it/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [Just let me live my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/just-let-me-live-my-life/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I'm not a bad boy now I'm living in Russia. London was great but there were too many distractions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-m-not-a-bad-boy-now-i-m-living-in-russia-london-was-great-but-there/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I actually always have good intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-actually-always-have-good-intentions/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [You know when you believe in Christmas? I was like that with ballet. I thought I would reach a level where I'd have enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/you-know-when-you-believe-in-christmas-i-was-like-that-with-ballet-i/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) [Explore all 120 Sergei Polunin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) ## 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 was an artist, and I could create something, and that's what's stimulating.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sergei Polunin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-something-and-that-s-what-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-something-and-that-s-what-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sergei-polunin-3855_art_i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-somet_2436025.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sergei-polunin-3855_art_i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-somet_2436025.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sergei-polunin-3855_art_i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-somet_2436025.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was an artist, and I could create something, and that's what's stimulating.” — Sergei Polunin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sergei Polunin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was an artist, and I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-something-and-that-s-what-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-was-an-artist-and-i-could-create-something-and-that-s-what-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```