--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I only painted when I felt like it and…" description: "\"I only painted when I felt like it and needed money. But it never really became a professional thing, even though the dealers would have liked that.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/wolfgang-beltracchi-27933_artist_i-only-painted-when-i-felt-like-it-and-n_2374143.jpg" --- # I only painted when I felt like it and needed money. But… ![“I only painted when I felt like it and needed money. But it never really became a professional thing, even though the dealers would have liked that.” quote by Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/wolfgang-beltracchi-27933_artist_i-only-painted-when-i-felt-like-it-and-n_2374143.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/wolfgang-beltracchi-27933_artist_i-only-painted-when-i-felt-like-it-and-n_2374143.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/wolfgang-beltracchi-27933_artist_i-only-painted-when-i-felt-like-it-and-n_2374143.jpg) > “I only painted when I felt like it and needed money. But it never really became a professional thing, even though the dealers would have liked that.” [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He creates art only when inspired or needing money, never pursuing a professional career despite market interest. **In simple terms:** He paints when motivated or for cash, not as a profession. Key Takeaway Balance passion with practicality. Themes artistic integrity financial pressure market demand professionalism Mood thoughtful conflicted Type interview artist When to use this quote - gallery shows - commission work - financial planning Key Concepts painting art forgery career choices Questions to Reflect On - What drives your creative decisions? - Can art remain pure under financial need? A Different Perspective May compromise artistic authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [No one ever ordered anything from me. I painted because I wanted to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/no-one-ever-ordered-anything-from-me-i-painted-because-i-wanted-to/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [I did a lot of violent junk just because I needed the money - alimony movies, you might call them - and then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-robards/i-did-a-lot-of-violent-junk-just-because-i-needed-the-money-alimony/) [Jason Robards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-robards/) > [I took up writing because I needed money. And I continued to write because it's safer than stealing and easier than working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-took-up-writing-because-i-needed-money-and-i-continued-to-write/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Only super-rich folk built fancy doors. You needed money coming out your ears before you spent it on a door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/only-super-rich-folk-built-fancy-doors-you-needed-money-coming-out/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [I never wanted to take a job because I needed money, and I never have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-never-wanted-to-take-a-job-because-i-needed-money-and-i-never-have/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“If I needed money, I learned to think in terms of how I could get what I needed by making something and selling it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-needed-money-i-learned-to-think-in-terms-of-how-i-could-get-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have made mistakes in the past and been in movies that really weren't good, and that I needed the money at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-have-made-mistakes-in-the-past-and-been-in-movies-that-really-weren/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [So I went to Miami in '74 with my family and while I was there it became obvious that we needed money and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-blades/so-i-went-to-miami-in-74-with-my-family-and-while-i-was-there-it/) [Ruben Blades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-blades/) > [With Stand Up To Cancer, every penny goes to Cancer Research UK. You are playing with people's lives. I knew I needed to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-carr/with-stand-up-to-cancer-every-penny-goes-to-cancer-research-uk-you/) [Alan Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-carr/) > [Of the nude pictures: Sure I posed. I needed the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/of-the-nude-pictures-sure-i-posed-i-needed-the-money/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [No matter how much I wanted all those things that I needed money to buy, there was some devilish current pushing me off in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-matter-how-much-i-wanted-all-those-things-that-i-needed-money-to/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [I played the submissive wife in 'Shakti' because I needed the money. But I'm glad I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepti-naval/i-played-the-submissive-wife-in-shakti-because-i-needed-the-money-but/) [Deepti Naval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepti-naval/) > [I used to work in jobs I hated because I needed the money to buy a guitar. I know what it feels like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/i-used-to-work-in-jobs-i-hated-because-i-needed-the-money-to-buy-a/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) > [Originally, I think, I wanted to be an actor. But I got into broadcasting by accident, if you will, because I needed money to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-trebek/originally-i-think-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-but-i-got-into/) [Alex Trebek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-trebek/) > [I signed my first book contract without paying much attention to what it said. I didn't know at the time that the book would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/i-signed-my-first-book-contract-without-paying-much-attention-to-what/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) ## More by Wolfgang Beltracchi > [The trick is to paint a picture that doesn't exist, and yet that fits perfectly into an artist's body of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/the-trick-is-to-paint-a-picture-that-doesn-t-exist-and-yet-that-fits/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [Most forgers are caught because they tell the wrong person about what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/most-forgers-are-caught-because-they-tell-the-wrong-person-about-what/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [Sometimes I smoked opium. And I also took LSD - for a while, quite a lot of LSD, in fact. But I never had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/sometimes-i-smoked-opium-and-i-also-took-lsd-for-a-while-quite-a-lot/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [I wouldn't be ashamed to sell my own art for a lot of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/i-wouldn-t-be-ashamed-to-sell-my-own-art-for-a-lot-of-money/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [For the cynic, art is defined through money. That, of course, is a very sad statement. But an artist is someone who does creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/for-the-cynic-art-is-defined-through-money-that-of-course-is-a-very/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [In a legal sense, I am a convicted criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/in-a-legal-sense-i-am-a-convicted-criminal/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [The interesting thing is that in everyday life, I fail to see the most ordinary things. I often stumble and sometimes I even fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/the-interesting-thing-is-that-in-everyday-life-i-fail-to-see-the-most/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [You can't paint pictures of love. You can only imagine them. So I suppose I don't need a painting by another artist. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/you-can-t-paint-pictures-of-love-you-can-only-imagine-them-so-i/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [I lived on a houseboat in Amsterdam for a year. It was intense, and it's possible that I even had a few blackouts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/i-lived-on-a-houseboat-in-amsterdam-for-a-year-it-was-intense-and-it/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [I can paint anything. Leonardo? Of course. But why? You couldn't sell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/i-can-paint-anything-leonardo-of-course-but-why-you-couldn-t-sell-it/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [I never decided to become an art forger. I was aware of my talent at an early age, and I used it foolishly. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/i-never-decided-to-become-an-art-forger-i-was-aware-of-my-talent-at/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [I once went to a demonstration in Aachen against fare increases on public transport. A police officer pulled out a bunch of my hair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/i-once-went-to-a-demonstration-in-aachen-against-fare-increases-on/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [I think that the most important requirement is to capture the essence of a piece of art. You look at it, essentially absorb it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/i-think-that-the-most-important-requirement-is-to-capture-the-essence/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [One is a criminal to some people and an artist to others. I can understand that. In a legal sense, I am a convicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/one-is-a-criminal-to-some-people-and-an-artist-to-others-i-can/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) > [No one ever ordered anything from me. I painted because I wanted to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-beltracchi/no-one-ever-ordered-anything-from-me-i-painted-because-i-wanted-to/) [Wolfgang Beltracchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) [Explore all 20 Wolfgang Beltracchi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-beltracchi/) ## 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 only painted when I felt like it and needed money. 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