"Artists are never complete people. But if it's art that completes them, then what is taken away?"

This quote by Alexander Theroux speaks to the idea that artists are not entire people, which they need art to complete them. It suggests that in order to produce art, something needs to be taken away from the artist. This could be translated in a couple of various ways. It might suggest that in order to create art, the artist must compromise something of themselves, such as their time, energy, or even their peace of mind. It might likewise mean that in order to produce art, the artist must quit something else, such as their convenience or security. Eventually, this quote speaks to the idea that art is a needed part of an artist's life, which it is something that needs to be taken away in order to be produced.