--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He (Tom Riley) gestured toward the…" description: "\"“He (Tom Riley) gestured toward the canvases in the main room. \"What are they, really? I mean, no bullshit. Because - I wouldn't say this to very many ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/stephen-king-13_quote_he-tom-riley-gestured-toward-the-canvase_1625014.jpg" --- # He (Tom Riley) gestured toward the canvases in the main… ![“He (Tom Riley) gestured toward the canvases in the main room. "What are they, really? I mean, no bullshit. Because - I wouldn't say this to very many people - they remind me of the way life was inside my head when I wasn't taking my pills." "They're just make-believe," I (Edgar) said. "Shadows."…” quote by Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/stephen-king-13_quote_he-tom-riley-gestured-toward-the-canvase_1625014.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/stephen-king-13_quote_he-tom-riley-gestured-toward-the-canvase_1625014.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5da/stephen-king-13_quote_he-tom-riley-gestured-toward-the-canvase_1625014.jpg) > ““He (Tom Riley) gestured toward the canvases in the main room. "What are they, really? I mean, no bullshit. Because - I wouldn't say this to very many people - they remind me of the way life was inside my head when I wasn't taking my pills." "They're just make-believe," I (Edgar) said. "Shadows." "I know about shadows," he said. "You just want to be careful they don't grow teeth. Because they can. Then, sometimes when you reach for the light-switch to make them go away, you discover the power's out.”” [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote explores how imagination can become frightening when we confront it, and how fear can be amplified by the unknown and loss of control. **In simple terms:** Imagination can turn scary when we face it and lose control. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront fear before it grows. Themes imagination fear control mental health perception Mood uneasy reflective Type literary dialogue When to use this quote - therapy sessions - creative brainstorming - nighttime anxiety - artistic critique Key Concepts psychology shadow metaphor reality vs illusion Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish imagination from harmful thoughts? - What strategies help keep fear from becoming overwhelming? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify mental illness complexities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Shadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadows/) ## Related quotes > [“I know about shadows,” he said. “You just want to be careful they don’t grow teeth. Because they can. Then, sometimes when you reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-know-about-shadows-he-said-you-just-want-to-be-careful-they-don-t/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“I told you that the moment we started letting females into our group, they'd be nothing but trouble.' 'As far as I can recall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/i-told-you-that-the-moment-we-started-letting-females-into-our-group/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“He didn't know why the Shadows wanted the brother and sister, but if he allowed himself to dwell on it too long he knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-meyers/he-didn-t-know-why-the-shadows-wanted-the-brother-and-sister-but-if/) [J Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-meyers/) > [“There were shadows I saw out of the corner of my eye that looked like problems waiting to become real, but you never know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-levy/there-were-shadows-i-saw-out-of-the-corner-of-my-eye-that-looked-like/) [Ariel Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-levy/) > [But they know about us, they know, the four corners, and the chairs nearby us. Discerning shadows also know, and even the table keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/but-they-know-about-us-they-know-the-four-corners-and-the-chairs/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [“I listened and did not speak. Achilles’ eyes were bright in the firelight, his face drawn sharply by the flickering shadows. I would know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-listened-and-did-not-speak-achilles-eyes-were-bright-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Even if a man spends his life staring at shadows, he will still know where the sun is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-d-lucy/even-if-a-man-spends-his-life-staring-at-shadows-he-will-still-know/) John H.D. Lucy > [“For all of us who see the shadows move and know there's something more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-hamilton/for-all-of-us-who-see-the-shadows-move-and-know-there-s-something-more/) [Kiki Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-hamilton/) > [“In your light, I see my shadows. So please, know that if I go away, it won't be your fault. It would only prove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-sood/in-your-light-i-see-my-shadows-so-please-know-that-if-i-go-away-it/) [Ramesh Sood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-sood/) > [I am half-sick of shadows,' said The Lady of Shalott.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/i-am-half-sick-of-shadows-said-the-lady-of-shalott/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“What's the Nephilim motto again?" "'We are dust and shadows,'" said Ty, not looking up from his book. "Some of us are very handsome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-s-the-nephilim-motto-again-we-are-dust-and-shadows-said-ty-not-2/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [ “I'm a has-been. Who the fuck cares about me?" Shadows said softly, "You're a god". Wednesday looked at him sharply. \[...\] "So?" "It's a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-m-a-has-been-who-the-fuck-cares-about-me-shadows-said-softly-you-re/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“You’d wait in the orchard for hours to watch a deer break from the shadows. You said it was like lifting a cello out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-c-corral/you-d-wait-in-the-orchard-for-hours-to-watch-a-deer-break-from-the/) Eduardo C. Corral > [“What’s the Nephilim motto again?” “ ‘We are dust and shadows,’ ” said Ty, not looking up from his book. “Some of us are very handsome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-s-the-nephilim-motto-again-we-are-dust-and-shadows-said-ty-not/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Somehow I can live in that awful building‟s shadows,” she said, “but I don‟t think I have the strength left to ever set foot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-brennessel/somehow-i-can-live-in-that-awful-building-s-shadows-she-said-but-i/) [Barry Brennessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-brennessel/) ## More by Stephen King > [Shall there be truth between us, as two men? Not as friends, but as enemies and equals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/shall-there-be-truth-between-us-as-two-men-not-as-friends-but-as/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“October 3, 2017 The clown, Hagarty said, looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald and that old TV clown, Bozo—or so he thought at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/october-3-2017-the-clown-hagarty-said-looked-like-a-cross-between/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [It hurt, of course, but more often than not the best things do, I've found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-hurt-of-course-but-more-often-than-not-the-best-things-do-i-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west blask-satin thunderheads continued to stack up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-sun-had-burned-through-and-the-day-had-gone-from-dull-to-dazzling/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Flakes of snow swirled and danced across the porch. The Overlook faced it as it had for nearly three-quarters of a century, its darkened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/flakes-of-snow-swirled-and-danced-across-the-porch-the-overlook-faced/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“In that instant it all seemed to come clear to him- it came in a grisly flash of light, and he realized that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-that-instant-it-all-seemed-to-come-clear-to-him-it-came-in-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Who gets to be best-liked in any community? Who is the most trusted? Why, the man who does the dirty job, of course, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/who-gets-to-be-best-liked-in-any-community-who-is-the-most-trusted/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“¿Lo ves, tonto? Volvió a regañarse. Tú lo inventaste todo, gato asustado. No fue más que tu imaginación, gato asustado, gato asustado... No te…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/lo-ves-tonto-volvi-a-rega-arse-t-lo-inventaste-todo-gato-asustado-no/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Death . . . but not for you. That was what Walter, clever as Satan even at the end, had said. A lawyer’s answer . . . so close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/death-but-not-for-you-that-was-what-walter-clever-as-satan-even-at/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The ghost story movie that scared me the most was The Changeling with George C. Scott. I think that's sometimes overlooked, but it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-ghost-story-movie-that-scared-me-the-most-was-the-changeling-with/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Climb aboard, Jonesy. I'm going to send you up where the air is rare and the view is much more than fair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/climb-aboard-jonesy-i-m-going-to-send-you-up-where-the-air-is-rare/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) [Explore all 3,589 Stephen King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More Shadows quotes > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I watched the movie 'What We Do in the Shadows' in a packed theater when it first came out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-dacosta/i-watched-the-movie-what-we-do-in-the-shadows-in-a-packed-theater/) [Nia DaCosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-dacosta/) > [Even in the darkness, his smile threw shadows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/even-in-the-darkness-his-smile-threw-shadows/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [“strike from the shadows, disapear into darkness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/strike-from-the-shadows-disapear-into-darkness/) [derek landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [The sun was trembling on the brink of the world, the shadows at their longest, and they still had several kilometers to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/the-sun-was-trembling-on-the-brink-of-the-world-the-shadows-at-their/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [Never Allow The Dark Shadows Of Your Past To Dim The Light You Were Destined To Shine...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prahmiss/never-allow-the-dark-shadows-of-your-past-to-dim-the-light-you-were/) Prahmiss > [“Try to think of it as though we are rewriting history––the first time this experience occurred you and I never kissed in this Dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/try-to-think-of-it-as-though-we-are-rewriting-history-the-first-time/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [As we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/as-we-wind-on-down-the-road-our-shadows-taller-than-our-souls/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [“My dream is to create something so beautiful that it encourages people to present the best version of themselves to me everywhere I go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/my-dream-is-to-create-something-so-beautiful-that-it-encourages/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [“There is light in the shadow just as there is shadow in the light and although many disclaim these shadows as everything unpleasant in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kensi-brianne-smith/there-is-light-in-the-shadow-just-as-there-is-shadow-in-the-light-and/) Kensi Brianne Smith > [There are only shades of gray. Black and white are nothing more than lofty ideals in our minds, the standards by which we try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/there-are-only-shades-of-gray-black-and-white-are-nothing-more-than/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“She bid him farewell, And scrutinized his silhouette, That slowly faded in the shadows. She whispered, "Au-revoir" To the nocturnal mist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruqayya-shaheed-khan/she-bid-him-farewell-and-scrutinized-his-silhouette-that-slowly-faded/) Ruqayya Shaheed Khan > [“I've always been in others' shadows”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santino-hassell/i-ve-always-been-in-others-shadows/) [Santino Hassell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santino-hassell/) > [“Shadows of the world made shadows of the heart much deeper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-krafton/shadows-of-the-world-made-shadows-of-the-heart-much-deeper/) [Ash Krafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-krafton/) > [Nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants currently live within our borders. That's 11 million people living in the shadows whom we know next to nothing about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-israel/nearly-11-million-undocumented-immigrants-currently-live-within-our/) [Steve Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-israel/) [Browse all 940 Shadows quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadows/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He (Tom Riley) gestured toward the canvases in the main room. \"What are they, really? I mean, no bullshit. Because - I wouldn't say this to very many people - they remind me of the way life was inside my head when I wasn't taking my pills.\" \"They're just make-believe,\" I (Edgar) said. \"Shadows.\" \"I know about shadows,\" he said. \"You just want to be careful they don't grow teeth. Because they can. 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