--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot create a piece of art merely…" description: "\"You cannot create a piece of art merely for money. Doing it as part of commerce so denudes art of wonder that it ceases to be art.\" — Seth Godin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/seth-godin-152_art_you-cannot-create-a-piece-of-art-merely_2776688.png" --- # You cannot create a piece of art merely for money. Doing… ![“You cannot create a piece of art merely for money. Doing it as part of commerce so denudes art of wonder that it ceases to be art.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/seth-godin-152_art_you-cannot-create-a-piece-of-art-merely_2776688.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/seth-godin-152_art_you-cannot-create-a-piece-of-art-merely_2776688.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/seth-godin-152_art_you-cannot-create-a-piece-of-art-merely_2776688.png) > “You cannot create a piece of art merely for money. Doing it as part of commerce so denudes art of wonder that it ceases to be art.” [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. Art created solely for profit loses its wonder, becoming mere commodity. **In simple terms:** Money can diminish art. Key Takeaway Create for purpose, not profit. Themes art commerce integrity Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - marketing - creative work - entrepreneurship Key Concepts Creativity value authenticity Questions to Reflect On - What balance between art and profit? - How to preserve wonder? A Different Perspective May limit financial sustainability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Commerce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commerce/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [The moment you try to institutionalize art, it ceases to be art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-wier/the-moment-you-try-to-institutionalize-art-it-ceases-to-be-art/) Allen Wier > [The way I look at it is that once you create a piece of art, and it's out in the world, there's nothing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lloyd/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-that-once-you-create-a-piece-of-art-and-it-s/) [David Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lloyd/) > [“If you were to create a piece of art, what would the subject be? I haven't met her yet. :)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amie-kaufman/if-you-were-to-create-a-piece-of-art-what-would-the-subject-be-i/) [Amie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amie-kaufman/) > [While you may have made money doing something a certain way yesterday, there's no reason to believe you'll succeed at it tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/while-you-may-have-made-money-doing-something-a-certain-way-yesterday/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“An artist that makes art merely to meet a demand is a slave to what his patrons wants to see, or, hear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-artist-that-makes-art-merely-to-meet-a-demand-is-a-slave-to-what/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The notion that the public accepts or rejects anything in modern art is merely romantic fiction. The game is completed and the trophies distributed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/the-notion-that-the-public-accepts-or-rejects-anything-in-modern-art/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [“Art is not merely a decorative enhancement of our lives, but a sign of our desire to live in the world fully and honestly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-zwicky/art-is-not-merely-a-decorative-enhancement-of-our-lives-but-a-sign-of/) [Jan Zwicky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-zwicky/) > [Art is merely the refuge which the ingenious have invented, when they were supplied with food and women, to escape the tediousness of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/art-is-merely-the-refuge-which-the-ingenious-have-invented-when-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Great art always transcends its culture, while lesser art merely reflects it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/great-art-always-transcends-its-culture-while-lesser-art-merely/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“For some death is an art, for others it is merely an inevitability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadie-s-forsythe/for-some-death-is-an-art-for-others-it-is-merely-an-inevitability/) Sadie S. Forsythe > [When art becomes merely shock value, our sense of humanity is slowly degraded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/when-art-becomes-merely-shock-value-our-sense-of-humanity-is-slowly/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [In college, students would do modeling to earn money. I was also doing the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/in-college-students-would-do-modeling-to-earn-money-i-was-also-doing/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [I'm loving life, making money doing what I love to do, making good money and living comfortably. I drive a corvette and live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-drake/i-m-loving-life-making-money-doing-what-i-love-to-do-making-good/) [Eli Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-drake/) > [It's not that you don't make any money doing conscious rap music. You make a lot of money doing this, but if you're greedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/it-s-not-that-you-don-t-make-any-money-doing-conscious-rap-music-you/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## 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": "You cannot create a piece of art merely for money. 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