Brad Holland Quotes

Powerful Brad Holland for Daily Growth

About Brad Holland

Brad Holland (1946-2011) was an American artist, illustrator, and writer, renowned for his surreal, dreamlike, and often psychedelic art that bridged the worlds of fine art, illustration, and commercial design. Born on October 27, 1946, in New York City, Holland grew up in a creative environment influenced by the vibrant culture of the city. His father, Walter, was an advertising executive, and his mother, Emily, a painter. This artistic heritage played a significant role in shaping his own creative pursuits. Holland's professional career began in the 1960s when he worked as a freelance illustrator for various magazines, record labels, and book publishers. His distinctive style quickly gained recognition, with major clients such as Rolling Stone magazine, Playboy, and The New York Times commissioning his work. In the 1970s, Holland delved into fine art, creating a series of large-scale paintings that explored themes of fantasy, psychedelia, and spirituality. His works were exhibited in galleries across the United States, including the Whitney Museum of American Art. Holland's major works include "The Golden Journey Home" (1973), a series of 24 large-scale paintings that depicted a journey through life and death; "Dreams of Gaia" (1985), a collection of prints, paintings, and sculptures inspired by the Earth and its healing powers; and "The Book of Toenails" (1993), an illustrated book exploring themes of personal transformation and spiritual growth. Brad Holland passed away on February 27, 2011, leaving behind a rich legacy of art that continues to inspire artists and audiences alike. His work serves as a testament to the power of imagination, dreams, and the human spirit.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Everything you need for everything that you do has already been given."

This quote suggests that all the resources, abilities, and potentials necessary for one to achieve their goals or carry out daily tasks are inherently available to them. It encourages a mindset that embraces self-reliance, resourcefulness, and trust in one's own capabilities. In essence, it implies that there is no need to search externally for what can be found within oneself when faced with challenges or opportunities.


"Life is a series of choices. Choose love."

The quote by Brad Holland suggests that life is a sequence of decisions we make, and among all the possible choices available to us, he encourages us to choose love. This implies prioritizing kindness, compassion, understanding, and connection in our interactions with others and ourselves. Such a choice fosters positivity, harmony, and personal growth, making life more fulfilling. In essence, Holland invites us to make love the guiding principle in our lives.


"The more you let go, the more you have."

This quote emphasizes that letting go of unnecessary attachments, grudges, expectations, or control can lead to personal freedom and growth. By releasing these burdens, one gains a greater sense of peace, clarity, and an increased capacity for joy, creativity, and love. Essentially, letting go allows for more space in our lives to embrace new experiences, opportunities, and connections with others.


"Remember: The future is not someplace we are going to, but one we are creating."

This quote emphasizes that the future isn't a fixed destination, but rather an ongoing creation shaped by our actions, decisions, and collective efforts in the present moment. It encourages us to take responsibility for shaping the world around us, implying that we have the power to influence our own destiny and that of society at large. This perspective invites proactivity, optimism, and a commitment to making positive changes towards a desired future.


"Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions."

This quote emphasizes that true happiness is not a predetermined state, but rather an outcome of our personal actions. It suggests that one must actively participate in their life, making positive choices and engaging in fulfilling activities to cultivate happiness. In essence, Holland encourages us to take responsibility for our own happiness by creating the conditions that nurture it.


In Modernism, reality used to validate media. In Postmodernism, the media validate reality. If you don't believe this, just think how many times you've described some real event as being 'just like a movie.'

- Brad Holland

Think, Some, Postmodernism, How Many Times

Many of the contradictions in Postmodern art come from the fact that we're trying to be artists in a democratic society. This is because in a democracy, the ideal is compromise. In art, it isn't.

- Brad Holland

Art, Fact, Ideal, Compromise

All the other kids in ninth grade were drawing hot rods and cocker spaniels and getting blue ribbons in art class. I was getting rejection slips from the 'Saturday Evening Post.'

- Brad Holland

Hot, Other, Saturday, Rejection Slips

Style is the most valuable asset of the modern artist. That's probably why so many styles are reported lost or stolen each year.

- Brad Holland

Artist, Year, Valuable Asset, Stolen

Many people have observed that truth is stranger than fiction. This has led some intellectuals to conclude that it's stranger than non-fiction as well.

- Brad Holland

Some, Fiction, Conclude, Observed

Futurism: This was a movement of intellectuals who wanted to replace tradition with the modern world of machinery, speed, violence, and public relations. It proves that we should be careful what intellectuals wish for, because we might get it.

- Brad Holland

Public Relations, Replace, Relations

Political art expresses the cliches you agree with, unlike propaganda, which expresses the cliches you don't.

- Brad Holland

Art, Propaganda, Which, Cliches

I've never understood why artists, who so often condescend to the cliches of their own culture, are so eager to embrace the cliches of cultures they know nothing about.

- Brad Holland

Embrace, Own, Eager, Cliches

In America, the only truly popular art form is the movies. Most people consider painting a hobby and literature, schoolwork.

- Brad Holland

Art, People, America, Schoolwork

Cubism is still the most important art movement for the same reason that John D. is still the most important Rockefeller.

- Brad Holland

Important, Reason, Most, Rockefeller

The truth is, we haven't really figured out yet how artists are going to thrive in modern mass societies. We're all experiments.

- Brad Holland

Experiments, Going, Mass, Thrive

Surrealism: An archaic term. Formerly an art movement. No longer distinguishable from everyday life.

- Brad Holland

Art, Longer, Surrealism, Everyday

In aristocratic societies, rich people used to commission exquisite paintings for their walls.

- Brad Holland

Walls, Aristocratic, Commission

Commercial art is traditionally delivered to a client in a brown-paper bag with an invoice stapled to the outside.

- Brad Holland

Art, Outside, Commercial, Client

I didn't want to go to college - I was bored by junior high. So I was in church one day, staring at the stained glass windows and thinking about things, when suddenly I decided that if I could start selling cartoons to magazines, they'd let me quit high school.

- Brad Holland

College, Church, Stained, Bored

If they were starting their careers today, Rockwell and Picasso would probably both be painting on black velvet.

- Brad Holland

Black, Both, Careers, Picasso

New Wave art was the rage of the eighties. Now it's exhibited in oldies-but-goodies museums, usually in black-and-pink frames.

- Brad Holland

Art, New, Frames, Rage

Fifty years ago, it was the dream of every bohemian artist to be seen getting out of a limousine wearing blue jeans and sneakers. Today, it's the dream of probably half the people in the country.

- Brad Holland

Artist, Country, Half, Blue Jeans

Many people decorate their homes with designer graffiti, even though most of them would probably have real graffiti scoured off the walls of their buildings.

- Brad Holland

Them, Decorate, Though, Homes

Your biggest influences are the earliest ones. When I was young, I was very influenced by the short stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

- Brad Holland

Young, Very, Stories, Short Stories

Postmodernists believe that truth is myth, and myth, truth. This equation has its roots in pop psychology. The same people also believe that emotions are a form of reality. There used to be another name for this state of mind. It used to be called psychosis.

- Brad Holland

Mind, Emotions, Equation, Myth

I don't get ideas, I have them. The trick is to remember where I've put them.

- Brad Holland

Ideas, Remember, Get, Trick

Art imitates life. Life imitates high school.

- Brad Holland

Art, School, High, Imitates

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