Art & Creativity Quote by Thomas Kinkade

Kinkade’s line lands like a confession disguised as a practical tip: the real danger in making art isn’t failure, it’s limbo. “Almost done” sounds benign, even promising, but he frames it as clutter - paintings and projects “hanging around” like unresolved arguments in your own house. The verb choice matters. Work doesn’t sit politely on a shelf; it haunts the studio, quietly taxing your attention and self-trust.

The intent is less about craft perfection than about finishing as an ethical act. Kinkade built a career on polish, brightness, and deliverable images - art that was meant to be complete, saleable, and emotionally legible. In that world, the half-finished canvas isn’t romantic; it’s inventory that can’t earn its keep, a stalled promise to an audience and to yourself. Even if you dislike his commercial sheen, his warning fits the realities of making: the longer something remains “almost,” the more it becomes an identity (I’m working on it) rather than a result (I made it).

Subtext: “almost done” is a socially acceptable hiding place. It lets you postpone judgment, dodge the scary moment when a piece has to stand on its own, and preserve the fantasy that it could still become perfect. Kinkade punctures that fantasy with a studio truth: unfinished work accumulates interest, and the debt is psychological. Finish, ship, learn - or admit you’ve abandoned it. The painting won’t decide for you.