---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought maybe I could become like the…"
description: "\"I thought maybe I could become like the next Van Gogh. I bought a sunflower and painted it, and it looked like the work of a 6-year-old.\" — Takeshi Kitano"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/takeshi-kitano-23336_artist_i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the_2988783.jpg"
---

#  I thought maybe I could become like the next Van Gogh. I…

![“I thought maybe I could become like the next Van Gogh. I bought a sunflower and painted it, and it looked like the work of a 6-year-old.” quote by Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/takeshi-kitano-23336_artist_i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the_2988783.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/takeshi-kitano-23336_artist_i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the_2988783.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/takeshi-kitano-23336_artist_i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the_2988783.jpg)

> “I thought maybe I could become like the next Van Gogh. I bought a sunflower and painted it, and it looked like the work of a 6-year-old.”

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Attempting to emulate a master without skill leads to childish results; authenticity matters more than imitation

**In simple terms:** Copying a master without skill looks childish

Key Takeaway

Seek authentic expression over imitation

Themes

art authenticity inspiration

Mood

thoughtful inspired

Type

artistic personal

When to use this quote

- painting
- music
- writing
- performance art

Key Concepts

creative process self‑identity master‑apprentice

Questions to Reflect On

- What unique voice can you develop?
- How do you balance influence with originality?

A Different Perspective

Imitation may stifle personal growth

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Sunflower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunflower/)

## Related quotes

> [“Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil, and has not only bought it, but has already spilled it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/annushka-has-already-bought-the-sunflower-oil-and-has-not-only-bought/)

[Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/)

> [From the animist point of view, humans belong in a sacred place because they themselves are sacred. Not sacred in a special way, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/from-the-animist-point-of-view-humans-belong-in-a-sacred-place/)

[Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/)

> [Restless sunflower; cease to move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-calder-n-de-la-barca/restless-sunflower-cease-to-move/)

[Pedro Calderon de la Barca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-calder-n-de-la-barca/)

> [“Mom has a massive sunflower for a soul so big there's hardly any room in her for organs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/mom-has-a-massive-sunflower-for-a-soul-so-big-there-s-hardly-any-room/)

[Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/)

> […we’re all beautiful golden sunflowers inside, we’re all blessed by our own seed & golden hairy naked accomplishment (Sunflower Sutra)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/we-re-all-beautiful-golden-sunflowers-inside-we-re-all-blessed-by-our/)

[Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/)

> [The splendor of a human heart that trusts it is loved unconditionally gives God more pleasure than Westminster Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s “Ninth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/the-splendor-of-a-human-heart-that-trusts-it-is-loved-unconditionally/)

[Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/)

> [The Sunflow'r, thinking 'twas for him foul shame To nap by daylight, strove t' excuse the blame; It was not sleep that made him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/the-sunflow-r-thinking-twas-for-him-foul-shame-to-nap-by-daylight/)

[Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/)

> [Does she realize she looks like a sunflower, ready to rain sunlight on all who look down upon her?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/does-she-realize-she-looks-like-a-sunflower-ready-to-rain-sunlight-on/)

[Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/)

> [My will broke at the sound of his voice, and my head turned with as much inevitability as a sunflower turning its face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/my-will-broke-at-the-sound-of-his-voice-and-my-head-turned-with-as/)

[Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/)

> [“She is a sunflower! She brings hope to people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/she-is-a-sunflower-she-brings-hope-to-people/)

[Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/)

> [My work is the world. Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird - equal seekers of sweetness. Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/my-work-is-the-world-here-the-sunflowers-there-the-hummingbird-equal/)

[Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/)

> [I'm thinking waiters and waitresses are going to be bracing for more customers coming in going, not just kind of where is that beef…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moss/i-m-thinking-waiters-and-waitresses-are-going-to-be-bracing-for-more/)

[Michael Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moss/)

> [I am painting with the same enthusiasm as a Marseillaise eats bouillabaisse ... I am painting big sunflowers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-am-painting-with-the-same-enthusiasm-as-a-marseillaise-eats/)

[Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/)

> [The cops drive by to do some more good deeds A young black male spits a sunflower seed in the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dred-scott/the-cops-drive-by-to-do-some-more-good-deeds-a-young-black-male-spits/)

Dred Scott

> [Because a rose can never be a sunflower, and a sunflower can never be a rose,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kerr/because-a-rose-can-never-be-a-sunflower-and-a-sunflower-can-never-be/)

[Miranda Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kerr/)

## More by Takeshi Kitano

> [I don't really expect much from my life. So when I heard my films are premiering in film festival circuits I was glad of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-don-t-really-expect-much-from-my-life-so-when-i-heard-my-films-are/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [I think my way of showing violence is unique from that of other filmmakers, in that when I show it, it hurts. It happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-think-my-way-of-showing-violence-is-unique-from-that-of-other/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [For me comedy and violence has a lot in common. Just as you expect, comedy always lurks behind the most unexpected of circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/for-me-comedy-and-violence-has-a-lot-in-common-just-as-you-expect/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [Comparing filmmaking to a plastic model, shooting is the process where you mold and color each piece, and editing is where you build a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/comparing-filmmaking-to-a-plastic-model-shooting-is-the-process-where/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [My philosophy is that one shall not resort to violence unless one is resolved to become the subject of violence at any time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/my-philosophy-is-that-one-shall-not-resort-to-violence-unless-one-is/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [I believe you shouldn't force the audience's interpretation of a character or a story. The more you explain things, the less intriguing and imaginable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-believe-you-shouldn-t-force-the-audience-s-interpretation-of-a/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [Eventually, this is how I would like to be remembered at the end of my career: He was never the best in anything he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/eventually-this-is-how-i-would-like-to-be-remembered-at-the-end-of-my/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [I paint for the sheer joy of painting. I have never sold any of my paintings. I'd rather give them to people for free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-paint-for-the-sheer-joy-of-painting-i-have-never-sold-any-of-my/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [Cinema is a composite art into which you can include all conceivable art or entertainment forms. In film, I can work with novelistic elements,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/cinema-is-a-composite-art-into-which-you-can-include-all-conceivable/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [I intentionally shoot violence to make the audience feel real pain. I have never and I will never shoot violence as if it's some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-intentionally-shoot-violence-to-make-the-audience-feel-real-pain-i/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [Humour is like violence. They both come to you unexpectedly, and the more unpredictable they both are, the better it gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/humour-is-like-violence-they-both-come-to-you-unexpectedly-and-the/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [One thing I hate in movies is when the camera starts circling around the characters. I find that totally fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/one-thing-i-hate-in-movies-is-when-the-camera-starts-circling-around/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [Being a TV comedian, actor, writer, columnist, and all that is quite helpful to me in acquiring wide varieties of knowledge, which is crucial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/being-a-tv-comedian-actor-writer-columnist-and-all-that-is-quite/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [I do all these various activities like painting and writing, comedy and films probably because not that I'm good at everything but because I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-do-all-these-various-activities-like-painting-and-writing-comedy/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

> [Doing TV shows helps me a lot in my screenplay writing and filmmaking, especially since my TV shows are in different formats: comedy sketches,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/doing-tv-shows-helps-me-a-lot-in-my-screenplay-writing-and-filmmaking/)

[Takeshi Kitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

[Explore all 26 Takeshi Kitano quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/)

## More Artist quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [“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

> [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/)

[St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/)

> [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 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/)

> [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/)

[Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/)

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/)

[Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/)

> [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

[Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I thought maybe I could become like the next Van Gogh. I bought a sunflower and painted it, and it looked like the work of a 6-year-old.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Takeshi Kitano"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the-next-van-gogh-i-bought-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Artist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the-next-van-gogh-i-bought-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/takeshi-kitano-23336_artist_i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the_2988783.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/takeshi-kitano-23336_artist_i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the_2988783.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/takeshi-kitano-23336_artist_i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the_2988783.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I thought maybe I could become like the next Van Gogh. I bought a sunflower and painted it, and it looked…” — Takeshi Kitano",
                "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": "Takeshi Kitano",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeshi-kitano/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I thought maybe I could become...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the-next-van-gogh-i-bought-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeshi-kitano/i-thought-maybe-i-could-become-like-the-next-van-gogh-i-bought-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```