Seth Godin Art Quotations

The minute there's a map, there is no art. Paint by numbers is not art. Paint by numbers is a mechanical activity.

I wonder if real art comes when you build the thing that they don't have a prize for yet.

Art is the act of doing work that matters while dancing with the voice in your head that screams for you to stop.

Art...is the intentional act of using your humanity to create a change in another person...Passion is caring enough about your art that you will do almost anything to give it away, to make it a gift, to change people.

This might end up in crying. If you're not prepared to cry about it, I'm not sure you're making art. And if you're not prepared to dance in anticipation, you're definitely not making art.

Art is the work of a human, an individual seeking to make a statement, to cause a reaction, to connect. Art is something new, every time, and art might not work, precisely because it's new, because it's human and because it seeks to connect.

The combination of passion and art is what makes someone a linchpin.

Here's the truth you have to wrestle with: the reason that art (writing, engaging, leading, all of it) is valuable is precisely why I can't tell you how to do it. If there were a map, there'd be no art, because art is the act of navigating without a map. Don't you hate that? I love that there's no map.

When you set down the path to create art, whatever sort of art it is, understand that the path is neither short not easy. That means you must determine if the route is worth the effort. If it's not, dream bigger.

Seizing new ground, making connections between people or ideas, working without a map-these are works of art, and if you do them, you are an artist, regardless of whether you wear a smock, use a computer, or work with others all day long.

Art isn't only a painting; it's anything that changes someone for the better, any nonanonymous interaction that leads to a human (not simply a commercial) conclusion.

Marketing is the art of seeing (and then creating) what might be interesting to more than our friends

Art is never defect-free. Things that are remarkable never meet spec, because that would make them standardized, not worth talking about.

...treasure what it means to do a day's work. It's our one and only chance to do something productive today, and it's certainly not available to someone merely because he is the high bidder. A day's work is your chance to do art, to create a gift, to do something that matters. As your work gets better and your art becomes more important, competition for your gifts will increase and you'll discover that you can be choosier about whom you give them to.

We don't need to be taught to make art, but sometimes we need permission to do so. Following instructions is overrated.

I think art is the ability to change people with your work, to see things as they are and then create stories, images, and interactions that change the marketplace.

By my definition, most art has nothing to do with oil paint or marble. Art is what we're doing when we do our best work.

The joy of art is particularly sweet, though, because it carries with it the threat of rejection, of failure, and of missed connections. It's precisely the high-wire act of "this might not work" that makes original art worth doing.

Books work as an art form (and an economic one) because they are primarily the work of an individual.

Art is the work of a human being – something a person does with generosity to touch someone else to make a change for the better.

Marketing is the act of inventing the product. The effort of designing it. The craft of producing it. The art of pricing it. The technique of selling it.

Art changes posture and posture changes innocent bystanders.

Art is the act of navigating without a map.

Every day I meet people who have so much to give but have been...frighten ed enough to hold it back. It's time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must.

It's impossible to have a coin with only one side. You can't have heads without tails. Innovation is like that. Initiative is like that. Art is like that. You can't have success unless you're prepared to have failure. As soon as you say, 'failure is not an option,' you've just said, 'innovation is not an option.'

You get to keep making art as long as you are willing to make the choices that let you make your art.

If it's work, we try to figure out how to do less, If it's art, we try to figure out how to do more

Creating art is a habit, one that we practice daily or hourly until we get good at it

When your art fails, make better art.

If you love writing or making music or blogging or any sort of performing art, then do it. Do it with everything you've got. Just don't plan on using it as a shortcut to making a living.

As soon as you are willing to say 'it's not for you', you're freed up to make art.

What I mean by art is the human act of doing something that connects us to someone else

What makes someone an artist? I don't think is has anything to do with a paintbrush. There are painters who follow the numbers, or paint billboards, or work in a small village in China, painting reproductions. These folks, while swell people, aren't artists. On the other hand, Charlie Chaplin was an artist, beyond a doubt. So is Jonathan Ive, who designed the iPod. You can be an artist who works with oil paints or marble, sure. But there are artists who work with numbers, business models, and customer conversations. Art is about intent and communication, not substances.

The only people who get paid what they're worth are people who don't follow the instruction book, who create art, who are innovative, who work without a map.

Insulate yourself... from anonymous angry people Expose yourself to art you don't yet understand Precisely measure the results that are important to you Stay blind to the metrics that don't matter Fail often Ship Lead, don't manage so much Seek out uncomfortable situations Make an impact on the people who matter to you Be better at your baseline skills than anyone else Copyedit less, invent more Give more speeches Ignore unsolicited advice

Art is a human act, a generous contribution, something that might not work, and it is intended to change the recipient for the better, often causing a connection to happen.

My best advice: win little battles. Get in the habit of winning, of shipping, of having customers that can't live without you. Once you've demonstrated you know how to do the art, then go after the windmills.

In contemporary art or movies, it makes perfect sense to be focused on the bleeding edge, on the new idea that's never been previously contemplated. But when we're discussing our goals, our passion and the way we interact with the culture, it seems to me that what works is significantly more important than what's new.

Art is frightening. Art isn't pretty. Art isn't painting. Art isn't something you hang on the wall. Art is what we do when we're truly alive. An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artist takes it (all of it, the work, the process, the feedback from those we seek to connect with) personally.

It's time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. Stop settling for what's good enough and start creating art that matters.

Art is what we're doing when we do our best work.

Art is when we do work that matters in a creative way, in a way that touches (people) and changes them for the better.

Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn't matter. The intent does.

Art is not in the ...eye of the beholder. It's in the soul of the artist.

An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artist takes it personally.

Art is what we call...the thing an artist does. It's not the medium or the oil or the price or whether it hangs on a wall or you eat it. What matters, what makes it art, is that the person who made it overcame the resistance, ignored the voice of doubt and made something worth making. Something risky. Something human. Art is not in the ...eye of the beholder. It's in the soul of the artist.

You cannot create a piece of art merely for money. Doing it as part of commerce so denudes art of wonder that it ceases to be art.

Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another.

At the heart of art is learning to see

You don't make art after you become an artist. You become an artist by ceaselessly making art.

Art is a personal act of courage.

Do your art. But don't wreck your art if it doesn't lend itself to paying the bills. That would be a tragedy.

Pain s the truth of art. Art is not a hobby or a pastime. It is the result of an internal battle royal, one between the quest for safety and the desire to matter.

Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that's creative, passionate, and personal. And great art resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator.

Great innovations, powerful interactions and real art are often produced by someone in a state of wonder. Looking around with stars in your eyes and amazement at the tools that are available to you can inspire generosity and creativity and connection

Denigrating art you don't understand doesn't hurt the art - it reveals something about your willingness to learn.

The art of good decision making is looking forward to and celebrating the tradeoffs, not pretending they don't exist.

Art is what we do when we're truly alive.

Your art is the act of taking personal responsibility, challenging the status quo, and changing people.

The art, the new, the ability to connect the dots and to make an impact - sooner or later, that can only come from one who creates, not from a teacher and not from a book.

Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that is creative, passionate and personal. Art is the unique work of a human being created to touch another. Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else.

You have brilliance in you, your contribution is valuable, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do, and you must.

Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work.