--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We don't need to be taught to make art…" description: "\"We don't need to be taught to make art, but sometimes we need permission to do so. Following instructions is overrated.\" — Seth Godin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/seth-godin-152_art_we-don-t-need-to-be-taught-to-make-art-b_617023.png" --- # We don't need to be taught to make art, but sometimes we… ![“We don't need to be taught to make art, but sometimes we need permission to do so. Following instructions is overrated.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/seth-godin-152_art_we-don-t-need-to-be-taught-to-make-art-b_617023.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/seth-godin-152_art_we-don-t-need-to-be-taught-to-make-art-b_617023.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86b/seth-godin-152_art_we-don-t-need-to-be-taught-to-make-art-b_617023.png) > “We don't need to be taught to make art, but sometimes we need permission to do so. Following instructions is overrated.” [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We naturally create art, but often seek permission; following instructions is overrated. **In simple terms:** Art is innate; instructions can limit creativity. Key Takeaway Trust your creative instincts. Themes creativity art authority instruction Mood encouraging critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - creative projects - education reform - personal art Key Concepts self-expression innovation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance guidance and freedom? - When is instruction helpful? A Different Perspective Some structure can guide beginners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Following instructions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following-instructions/) ## Related quotes > [Following instructions is overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/following-instructions-is-overrated/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [To make art you need to be inspired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lake/to-make-art-you-need-to-be-inspired/) [Greg Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lake/) > [“The job is what you do when you are told what to do. The job is showing up at the factory, following instructions, meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-job-is-what-you-do-when-you-are-told-what-to-do-the-job-is/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [As soon as you are willing to say 'it's not for you', you're freed up to make art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/as-soon-as-you-are-willing-to-say-it-s-not-for-you-you-re-freed-up-to/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [You get to keep making art as long as you are willing to make the choices that let you make your art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-get-to-keep-making-art-as-long-as-you-are-willing-to-make-the/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [You don't make art after you become an artist. You become an artist by ceaselessly making art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-don-t-make-art-after-you-become-an-artist-you-become-an-artist-by/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Conformity no longer leads to comfort. But the good news is that creativity is scarce, and more valuable than ever. So is choosing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/conformity-no-longer-leads-to-comfort-but-the-good-news-is-that/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [More and more people in my country recognise the dangers of having their governors appointed by Putin and having no influence in parliament because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/more-and-more-people-in-my-country-recognise-the-dangers-of-having/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [“Hideo wants me off the official games and the hunt. Zero has warned me to stay away. But I've never been good at following…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/hideo-wants-me-off-the-official-games-and-the-hunt-zero-has-warned-me/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [“The belief that science proceeds from observation to theory is still so widely and so firmly held that my denial of it is often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/the-belief-that-science-proceeds-from-observation-to-theory-is-still/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [The fact that you have contracted Covid-19 isn't an easy thing to deal with. I was anxious and scared too, initially. Since I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-sanu/the-fact-that-you-have-contracted-covid-19-isn-t-an-easy-thing-to/) [Kumar Sanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-sanu/) > [It is a good divine that follows his own instructions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/it-is-a-good-divine-that-follows-his-own-instructions/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Computers are good at following instructions, but not at reading your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/computers-are-good-at-following-instructions-but-not-at-reading-your/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [I am not good at following rules, I am not good at following instructions, I am not good at driving slow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessi-combs/i-am-not-good-at-following-rules-i-am-not-good-at-following/) [Jessi Combs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessi-combs/) > [“When in the presence of a USA law enforcement, remember that sudden moves, running away, driving away, moving towards them, not following instructions, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-in-the-presence-of-a-usa-law-enforcement-remember-that-sudden/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Seth Godin > [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The easier it is to quantify, the less it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easier-it-is-to-quantify-the-less-it-s-worth/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The public square is more public than ever, but minds are rarely changed in 140 character bursts and by selfies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-public-square-is-more-public-than-ever-but-minds-are-rarely/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Making an average pitch to average people, or having an average gala for average people isn't going to scale anymore. You've got to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/making-an-average-pitch-to-average-people-or-having-an-average-gala/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Life is actually far better than it is in the movies. And it takes longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-is-actually-far-better-than-it-is-in-the-movies-and-it-takes/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of remarkable ideas. I think your business has plenty of great opportunities to do great things. Nope, what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-remarkable-ideas-i-think-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The mirror we hold up to the person next to us is one of the most important pictures she will ever see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-mirror-we-hold-up-to-the-person-next-to-us-is-one-of-the-most/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you're a marketer who doesn't know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you're no longer a marketer. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-re-a-marketer-who-doesn-t-know-how-to-invent-design-influence/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) [Explore all 1,110 Seth Godin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## 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": "We don't need to be taught to make art, but sometimes we need permission to do so. 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