--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there’s a thing, a scene, maybe, an…" description: "\"If there’s a thing, a scene, maybe, an image that you want to see real bad, that you need to see but it doesn’t exist in the world around you, at least..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/tom-robbins-169_art_if-there-s-a-thing-a-scene-maybe-an-imag_1197818.jpg" --- # If there’s a thing, a scene, maybe, an image that you want… ![“If there’s a thing, a scene, maybe, an image that you want to see real bad, that you need to see but it doesn’t exist in the world around you, at least not in the form that you envision, then you create it so that you can look at it and have it around, or show it to other people who wouldn’t have…” quote by Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/tom-robbins-169_art_if-there-s-a-thing-a-scene-maybe-an-imag_1197818.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/tom-robbins-169_art_if-there-s-a-thing-a-scene-maybe-an-imag_1197818.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d7/tom-robbins-169_art_if-there-s-a-thing-a-scene-maybe-an-imag_1197818.jpg) > “If there’s a thing, a scene, maybe, an image that you want to see real bad, that you need to see but it doesn’t exist in the world around you, at least not in the form that you envision, then you create it so that you can look at it and have it around, or show it to other people who wouldn’t have imagined it because they perceive reality in a more narrow, predictable way. And that’s it. That’s all an artist does.” [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists create imagined realities to expand perception beyond conventional limits, offering new visions to others. **In simple terms:** Artists make imagined things to broaden how we see the world. Key Takeaway Create to expand others’ view. Themes creativity vision perception Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - design - film - visual arts - product development Key Concepts imagination artistic purpose Questions to Reflect On - What vision have you yet to materialize? - How can imagined ideas become tangible? A Different Perspective Creation may clash with practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-does/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Imagined Perceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagined-perceive-3579752/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Maybe Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-image-3579751/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceive/) [Perceive Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceive-reality-240473/) [Predictable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predictable/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Narrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-narrow-3579753/) [Scene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scene/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Reality is a narrow little house which becomes a prison to those who can't get out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-cary/reality-is-a-narrow-little-house-which-becomes-a-prison-to-those-who/) [Joyce Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-cary/) > [Our reality is narrow, confined, and fleeting. Whatever we think is important right now, in our mundane lives, will no longer be important against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/our-reality-is-narrow-confined-and-fleeting-whatever-we-think-is/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [“The inability to correctly perceive reality is often responsible for humans' insane behavior. And every time they substitute an all-purpose, sloppy slang word for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-inability-to-correctly-perceive-reality-is-often-responsible-for/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The imagination equips us to perceive reality when it is not fully materialized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-imagination-equips-us-to-perceive-reality-when-it-is-not-fully/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What you remember, it’s real. It doesn’t matter how accurate your memory of something is, it is real to you. What you perceive as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/what-you-remember-it-s-real-it-doesn-t-matter-how-accurate-your/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“Our view of reality is like a map with which to negotiate the terrain of life. If the map is true and accurate, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/our-view-of-reality-is-like-a-map-with-which-to-negotiate-the-terrain-2/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Besides our eyes, skin and the other senses through which we receive the shadows of the exterior reality, we have a 'mental eye' (intelligence)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jes-s-zamora-bonilla/besides-our-eyes-skin-and-the-other-senses-through-which-we-receive/) [Jesús Zamora-Bonilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jes-s-zamora-bonilla/) > [“Our beliefs shape how we perceive reality to be, and the belief that shapes our current perception of reality was adopted by the worldview…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/our-beliefs-shape-how-we-perceive-reality-to-be-and-the-belief-that/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [“First Principle of Biocentrism: What we perceive as reality is a process that involves our consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-p-lanza/first-principle-of-biocentrism-what-we-perceive-as-reality-is-a/) [Robert P. Lanza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-p-lanza/) > [People assume that they perceive reality as it is, that our senses accurately record the outside world. Yet the science suggests that, in important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/people-assume-that-they-perceive-reality-as-it-is-that-our-senses/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [When we start to heal and perceive what I call love consciousness, we begin to perceive reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isha-judd/when-we-start-to-heal-and-perceive-what-i-call-love-consciousness-we/) [Isha Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isha-judd/) > [We don't live in the world of reality, we live in the world of how we perceive reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/we-don-t-live-in-the-world-of-reality-we-live-in-the-world-of-how-we/) [Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/) > [The more effort we make to appreciate and perceive reality, the larger and more accurate our maps will be. But many do not want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-more-effort-we-make-to-appreciate-and-perceive-reality-the-larger/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“Truth and reality are two different things. Truth is nothing more or less than an expression of reality as you perceive it, while reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/truth-and-reality-are-two-different-things-truth-is-nothing-more-or/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [The difference between what people perceive and what's reality is that, like, I'm not actually shy. I'm just observant. I care a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/partynextdoor/the-difference-between-what-people-perceive-and-what-s-reality-is/) [PartyNextDoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/partynextdoor/) ## More by Tom Robbins > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/love-is-the-ultimate-outlaw-it-just-won-t-adhere-to-any-rules-the/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“I believe in everything; nothing is sacred. I believe in nothing; everything is sacred. Ha Ha Ho Ho Hee Hee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/i-believe-in-everything-nothing-is-sacred-i-believe-in-nothing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [A sense of humor...is superior to any religion so far devised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/a-sense-of-humor-is-superior-to-any-religion-so-far-devised/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/love-is-the-ultimate-outlaw-it-just-won-t-adhere-to-any-rules-the-2/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“The glue that holds the natural world together appears to be a harmonious balance of opposites: day and night, light and dark, winter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-glue-that-holds-the-natural-world-together-appears-to-be-a/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Zippers are primal and modern at the very same time. On the one hand, your zipper is primitive and reptilian, on the other, mechanical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/zippers-are-primal-and-modern-at-the-very-same-time-on-the-one-hand/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“religion is a paramount contributor to human misery. It is not merely the opium of the masses, it is the cyanide.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/religion-is-a-paramount-contributor-to-human-misery-it-is-not-merely/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [She continued weeping until the heat of her tear water, the sheer velocity of its flow, finally obscured the already vague circumstances of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/she-continued-weeping-until-the-heat-of-her-tear-water-the-sheer/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The bottom line is that (a) people are never perfect, but love can be, (b) that is the one and only way that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-bottom-line-is-that-a-people-are-never-perfect-but-love-can-be-b/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Virtually every advancement made by our species since civilization first peeked out of its nest of stone has been initiated by lone individuals, mavericks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/virtually-every-advancement-made-by-our-species-since-civilization/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [When we accept small wonders, we qualify ourselves to imagine great wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/when-we-accept-small-wonders-we-qualify-ourselves-to-imagine-great/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Explore all 994 Tom Robbins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "If there’s a thing, a scene, maybe, an image that you want to see real bad, that you need to see but it doesn’t exist in the world around you, at least not in the form that you envision, then you create it so that you can look at it and have it around, or show it to other people who wouldn’t have imagined it because they perceive reality in a more narrow, predictable way. 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