--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My whole premise has been, right from the…" description: "\"My whole premise has been, right from the beginning, that it would take me a lifetime to learn to explain myself as an artist. As you grow older, you l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/tony-bennett-4307_art_my-whole-premise-has-been-right-from-the_2591113.png" --- # My whole premise has been, right from the beginning, that… ![“My whole premise has been, right from the beginning, that it would take me a lifetime to learn to explain myself as an artist. As you grow older, you learn what to do and what to leave out. You kind of simplify your work and get the same thing done with fewer strokes. It's pretty interesting to me.” quote by Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/tony-bennett-4307_art_my-whole-premise-has-been-right-from-the_2591113.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/tony-bennett-4307_art_my-whole-premise-has-been-right-from-the_2591113.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/tony-bennett-4307_art_my-whole-premise-has-been-right-from-the_2591113.png) > “My whole premise has been, right from the beginning, that it would take me a lifetime to learn to explain myself as an artist. As you grow older, you learn what to do and what to leave out. You kind of simplify your work and get the same thing done with fewer strokes. It's pretty interesting to me.” [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artistic growth involves simplifying work over time, achieving more with fewer strokes. **In simple terms:** Artists simplify to achieve more with less. Key Takeaway Focus on essential elements for artistic clarity. Themes art simplicity growth Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - painting - writing - musical composition Key Concepts creative process minimalism experience Questions to Reflect On - When is simplicity beneficial? - How does experience influence artistic choices? A Different Perspective Simplicity may limit experimentation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [To look at the work of your peers, and learn how to explain with kindness and precision, the nature of their mistakes is, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/to-look-at-the-work-of-your-peers-and-learn-how-to-explain-with/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [For some reason I can't explain, artist and musicians tend to look younger than our age. 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For the artist is his work and no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-francis/the-personal-lives-of-painters-are-tragic-and-inevitable-and-do-not/) [Sam Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-francis/) > [“In my opinion, it is not the writer’s job to solve such problems as the existence of God, pessimism, etc. The job of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job-to-solve-such-problems-as-2/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“I cannot explain, nor must an artist defend his work or elucidate in such a way the reeling audience can fathom, brutes that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-barron/i-cannot-explain-nor-must-an-artist-defend-his-work-or-elucidate-in/) [Laird Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-barron/) > [I tell each artist they have to grow toward a revenue stream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/i-tell-each-artist-they-have-to-grow-toward-a-revenue-stream/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [Just because I'm a recording artist doesn't mean I'm not an artist. Because I had to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-wright/just-because-i-m-a-recording-artist-doesn-t-mean-i-m-not-an-artist/) [Lizz Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-wright/) > [I want to solidify as an artist and show that as I grow as a person and make mistakes and learn from them, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-want-to-solidify-as-an-artist-and-show-that-as-i-grow-as-a-person/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [All children are artists,the problem is how to remain and artist as they grow up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/all-children-are-artists-the-problem-is-how-to-remain-and-artist-as/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Maybe I'll be an artist if I grow up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/maybe-i-ll-be-an-artist-if-i-grow-up/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [Every artist has to grow, and has to challenge themselves with a new form of expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/every-artist-has-to-grow-and-has-to-challenge-themselves-with-a-new/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/every-child-is-an-artist-the-problem-is-how-to-remain-an-artist-once-2/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) ## More by Tony Bennett > [When the uncreative tell the creative what to do, it stops being art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/when-the-uncreative-tell-the-creative-what-to-do-it-stops-being-art/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [If you follow your passion, you'll never work a day in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/if-you-follow-your-passion-you-ll-never-work-a-day-in-your-life/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [I have an awful lot to learn. My dream is to get better and better as I get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-have-an-awful-lot-to-learn-my-dream-is-to-get-better-and-better-as/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [I grew up in an era where the record companies just sold records to everybody, and the whole family bought songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-grew-up-in-an-era-where-the-record-companies-just-sold-records-to/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [I think there's an opportunity for a couple of them for sure, maybe more depending upon the situation, but it's too early to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-think-there-s-an-opportunity-for-a-couple-of-them-for-sure-maybe/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [It's the kind of turn that happened to the great country of Germany, when Nazis came over and created tragic things, and they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/it-s-the-kind-of-turn-that-happened-to-the-great-country-of-germany/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [When you get older, you don't have to eat a lot. I get my rest and sleep very well at night. It keeps me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/when-you-get-older-you-don-t-have-to-eat-a-lot-i-get-my-rest-and/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [Nobody has communicated with the public more than Lady Gaga. Ever. I trust the audience, and I'm very impressed. As far as they're concerned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/nobody-has-communicated-with-the-public-more-than-lady-gaga-ever-i/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [Performers should really go to the best schools, like Lady Gaga, you know, she went to NYU and had great teachers... It's best to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/performers-should-really-go-to-the-best-schools-like-lady-gaga-you/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [I was possessed with a wonderful example of my Italian American family. They would come over and join us every Sunday, all my aunts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-was-possessed-with-a-wonderful-example-of-my-italian-american/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [Luckily for his audiences, Bennett doesn't tire of singing I Left My Heart. ... that song made me a world citizen. And when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/luckily-for-his-audiences-bennett-doesn-t-tire-of-singing-i-left-my/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [I loved Art Tatum! And, through him, and other different jazz musicians, I actually found my technique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-loved-art-tatum-and-through-him-and-other-different-jazz-musicians/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [More than anybody else I’d like to thank Count Basie for teaching me how to perform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/more-than-anybody-else-i-d-like-to-thank-count-basie-for-teaching-me/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [I respected Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. Those were my heroes, and they were 10 years older than I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-respected-ella-fitzgerald-nat-king-cole-and-frank-sinatra-those/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [I want to try to prove that at 100, I could sing as well as I was singing when I was 45 or 43.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-want-to-try-to-prove-that-at-100-i-could-sing-as-well-as-i-was/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) [Explore all 113 Tony Bennett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) ## 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. 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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. 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