--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm often wary of using the word…" description: "\"I'm often wary of using the word 'inspiration' to introduce my work -- it sounds too much like a sun shower from the heavens, absorbed by a passive ind..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/shaun-tan-27832_art_i-m-often-wary-of-using-the-word-inspira_337660.jpg" --- # I'm often wary of using the word 'inspiration' to… ![“I'm often wary of using the word 'inspiration' to introduce my work -- it sounds too much like a sun shower from the heavens, absorbed by a passive individual enjoying an especially receptive moment. While that may be the case on rare occasions, the reality is usually far more prosaic. Staring at…” quote by Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/shaun-tan-27832_art_i-m-often-wary-of-using-the-word-inspira_337660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/shaun-tan-27832_art_i-m-often-wary-of-using-the-word-inspira_337660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/shaun-tan-27832_art_i-m-often-wary-of-using-the-word-inspira_337660.jpg) > “I'm often wary of using the word 'inspiration' to introduce my work -- it sounds too much like a sun shower from the heavens, absorbed by a passive individual enjoying an especially receptive moment. While that may be the case on rare occasions, the reality is usually far more prosaic. Staring at a blank piece of paper, I can't think of anything original. I feel utterly uninspired and unreceptive. It's the familiar malaise of 'artist's block' and in such circumstances there is only one thing to do: just start drawing.” [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work often feels blocked, but action—starting to draw—breaks the inertia and reveals ideas. **In simple terms:** Blockage can be overcome by simply beginning. Key Takeaway Begin now, regardless of inspiration. Themes creativity procrastination artist block action mindset Mood frustrated determined hopeful Type advice motivational When to use this quote - writing - painting - design - any creative start Key Concepts flow state self‑efficacy creative resistance Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take right now? - How does action change your perception of inspiration? A Different Perspective Starting may still feel forced; quality may suffer without inspiration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Malaise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malaise/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Rare occasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rare-occasion/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Staring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staring/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Things to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-to-do/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“To get over artist's block, make shitty art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-horowitz/to-get-over-artist-s-block-make-shitty-art/) Dave Horowitz > [When I'm drawing a bottle or a town or a market, I transport myself there. So I start drawing everything that I'm looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-aragones/when-i-m-drawing-a-bottle-or-a-town-or-a-market-i-transport-myself/) [Sergio Aragones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-aragones/) > [I felt the need to get back to painting and I thought the best way was to start drawing, so I enrolled in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wright/i-felt-the-need-to-get-back-to-painting-and-i-thought-the-best-way/) [Peter Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wright/) > [Usually I commit to something in my head and then I start drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-davis/usually-i-commit-to-something-in-my-head-and-then-i-start-drawing/) [Jim Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-davis/) > [I don't think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I need it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-don-t-think-about-race-before-i-start-drawing-i-think-about-how-to/) [Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/) > [What happens if you start drawing squares? Well, I'd say the answer to that is, don't get famous for drawing circles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/what-happens-if-you-start-drawing-squares-well-i-d-say-the-answer-to/) [Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/) > [I always start drawing any job by planning out to some degree the locales and trying to nail the characters. If they're existing characters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-always-start-drawing-any-job-by-planning-out-to-some-degree-the/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [I actually start drawing things. Usually they're abandoned before I commit too much time and effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/i-actually-start-drawing-things-usually-they-re-abandoned-before-i/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [I dont think about race before I start drawing. I think about how to make that mark to fit whatever purpose I need it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toyin-odutola/i-dont-think-about-race-before-i-start-drawing-i-think-about-how-to/) [Toyin Odutola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toyin-odutola/) > [I start drawing, and eventually the characters involve themselves in a situation. Then in the end, I go back and try to cut out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-start-drawing-and-eventually-the-characters-involve-themselves-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You are the creator. Get out that old box of paints and brushes and start drawing love into your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mcgahan/you-are-the-creator-get-out-that-old-box-of-paints-and-brushes-and/) [Kate McGahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mcgahan/) > [Almost every scene, I re-think as I'm about to start drawing it, and at least half of the time I'm changing dialogue or whatever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-brown/almost-every-scene-i-re-think-as-i-m-about-to-start-drawing-it-and-at/) [Chester Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-brown/) > [I am not greedy. I do not seek to possess the major portion of your days. I am content if, on those rare occasions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-deren/i-am-not-greedy-i-do-not-seek-to-possess-the-major-portion-of-your/) [Maya Deren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-deren/) > [Meditation is one of the rare occasions when we're not doing anything. Otherwise, we're always doing something, we're always thinking something, we're always occupied.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzongsar-jamyang-khyentse-rinpoche/meditation-is-one-of-the-rare-occasions-when-we-re-not-doing-anything/) [Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzongsar-jamyang-khyentse-rinpoche/) > [“If there is difference of opinions on a rare occasion, then that is the measure of being a human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-there-is-difference-of-opinions-on-a-rare-occasion-then-that-is/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) ## More by Shaun Tan > [“It's as if they take all our questions and offer them straight back: Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/it-s-as-if-they-take-all-our-questions-and-offer-them-straight-back/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“The green painted concrete out in front of the house, which at first seemed like a novel way to save money on lawn-moving, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/the-green-painted-concrete-out-in-front-of-the-house-which-at-first/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [Depression is the flip side of creative inspiration but it can be useful. It's telling you to stop for a little bit. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/depression-is-the-flip-side-of-creative-inspiration-but-it-can-be/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“There is an implicit recognition here that important things in life are not always immediately visible, and can't always be named, or even fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/there-is-an-implicit-recognition-here-that-important-things-in-life/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“terrible fates are inevitable”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/terrible-fates-are-inevitable/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [What I love about Inuit carving is that it's so narrative, but it doesn't have the temporal dimension of an illustrated picture, where it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/what-i-love-about-inuit-carving-is-that-it-s-so-narrative-but-it/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [I don't get really inspired the way some people do, buzzing with ideas - it feels like hard work to me... but once I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/i-don-t-get-really-inspired-the-way-some-people-do-buzzing-with-ideas/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“Why do I always listen to your insane plans? Why aren't we at home watching TV like everyone else? What possible difference will any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/why-do-i-always-listen-to-your-insane-plans-why-aren-t-we-at-home/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“without sense or reason”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/without-sense-or-reason/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“It's funny how these days, when every household has its own inter-continental ballistic missile, you hardly even think about them. . . . A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/it-s-funny-how-these-days-when-every-household-has-its-own-inter/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [You discover how confounding the world is when you try to draw it. You look at a car, and you try to see its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/you-discover-how-confounding-the-world-is-when-you-try-to-draw-it-you/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [The Federal Department of Odds and Ends: sweepus underum carpetae.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/the-federal-department-of-odds-and-ends-sweepus-underum-carpetae/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [As an artist, even if you are putting out something really dark and disturbing, that's good because it's opening a discussion. Always in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/as-an-artist-even-if-you-are-putting-out-something-really-dark-and/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [So you want to hear a story? Well, I used to know a whole lot of pretty interesting ones. Some of them so funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/so-you-want-to-hear-a-story-well-i-used-to-know-a-whole-lot-of-pretty/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [Today is the tomorrow you were promised yesterday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/today-is-the-tomorrow-you-were-promised-yesterday/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) [Explore all 20 Shaun Tan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) ## 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'm often wary of using the word 'inspiration' to introduce my work -- it sounds too much like a sun shower from the heavens, absorbed by a passive individual enjoying an especially receptive moment. 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