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" Making art, good art, is always a struggle. It can make you happy when you pull it off. There's no better feeling. It's beauteous. But it's always about hard work and inspiration and sweat and good ideas. "

Damien Hirst

Good

Struggle

Work

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" My Mum brought me up to believe that if you look after the pennies then the pounds look after themselves, and I could never do it. "

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You

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" I was taught to confront things you can't avoid. Death is one of those things. To live in a society where you're trying not to look at it is stupid because looking at death throws us back into life with more vigour and energy. The fact that flowers don't last for ever makes them beautiful. "

" I used to believe I was going to live forever. And then you suddenly become aware that you're not. "

" I remember when you used to have your profession on your passport and I always thought that being a painter was the best one to be, because my heroes were Goya and Francis Bacon. "

" In an artwork you're always looking for artistic decisions, so an ashtray is perfect. An ashtray has got life and death. "

" People don't like contemporary art, but all art starts life as contemporary - I can't really see a difference. "

Damien Hirst

People

Life

" I have always been aware that you have to get people listening before you can change their minds. Any artist's big fear is being ignored, so if you get debate, that's great. "

" Even as a kid in drawing class, I had real ambition. I wanted to be the best in the class, but there was always some other feller who was better; so I thought, 'It can't be about being the best, it has to be about the drawing itself, what you do with it.' That's kind of stuck with me. "

Damien Hirst

Drawing

Best

" No, I don't believe in genius. I believe in freedom. I think anyone can do it. Anyone can be like Rembrandt. "

Damien Hirst

Freedom

Think

" I've had laser eye surgery and I don't wear glasses any more, so people just go, 'You're not Damien Hirst.' I don't get recognized on the street. "

Damien Hirst

Glasses

Eye

" Great art - or good art - is when you look at it, experience it and it stays in your mind. I don't think conceptual art and traditional art are all that different. "

" I was brought up Catholic, and I felt the power of art from a very young age - seeing the brutality of all those images of flayed apostles and tortured saints was a pretty strong introduction. "

" It's amazing what you can do with an E in A-Level art, a twisted imagination and a chainsaw. "

" So smoking is the perfect way to commit suicide without actually dying. I smoke because it's bad, it's really simple. "