could it be this

Life is short, and art is long

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Hippocrates said
‘Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile’
->‘Art is long, and life is short, opportunity fleeting, experience perilous, and decision [or judgement] difficult.’

So, art In the mot does not mean creative activity resulting in the production of paintings, drawings, or sculpture.

art : technique, craft
life : The period between the birth and death of a living thing, especially a human being:

Life is short, and art is long :
-> Art lasts forever, but artists die and are forgotten. (X)
-> Life is short, Art eternal. (X)
-> The life so short, the craft so long to learn. (O)
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However, here's another way to look at exactly the same sentence :
Considering the origin of the mot "Life is short, and art is long,"

art : technique, craft, especially the art of medicine
life : Vitality, vigour, or energy:

Could it be this?