It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Mastering technical skill takes years, but achieving pure, uninhibited expression takes a lifetime of unlearning.
- In plain terms
- It is easier to learn the rules of art than to forget them and paint naturally.
- What can you take from it?
- Simplicity and authenticity are harder to achieve than technical proficiency.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What rules have you learned that now limit you?
- How do you reconnect with your inner child?
Another view
Not all art requires childlike simplicity; some forms thrive on complexity.
More from Pablo Picasso
I have discovered photography. Now I can kill myself. I have nothing else to learn.
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Permalink to quote #35 Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal.
Permalink to quote #32
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