"To be an artist you have to give up everything, including the desire to be a good artist"

This quote by Jasper Johns talks to the idea that in order to be a successful artist, one must want to quit all presumptions of what it implies to be an excellent artist. This suggests that a person should want to take dangers and be open to experimentation and failure. It also suggests that a person should want to let go of any expectations or desires for success or recognition. Rather, one should focus on the imaginative process and the happiness of creating art. This quote motivates artists to be brave and to trust their own creative impulses, even if it suggests going versus the grain. It likewise works as a suggestion that the very best art is frequently produced when one is willing to take risks and be open to the unidentified. Ultimately, this quote encourages artists to be brave and to trust their own imaginative instincts, even if it means going versus the grain.