He explains "Its not like today. (In those days) artists were not received by society ... Unless you had a supportive family, it was nearly impossible to pursue painting".
而當年像楊三郎一樣選擇繪畫為終生職志的人，不但要花極大心力取得家人的諒解和支持，更要拼全力爭取任何可見的成果（入選參展、得獎、賣畫），以便對家人親友有所交代。