You put a layout on your slide that contains the place holder for a picture. but you'd rather use the clip art task pane to insert the art than the opinions you get when you click the insert art icon?

To insert clip art instead of using the placeholder on your slide, open the Clip Art task pane by going to the "Insert" tab and selecting "Clip Art." Search for the type of clip art you want, then simply click on it to insert it directly onto your slide. You can resize or reposition the clip art as needed after inserting it. This gives you more control over the specific artwork you choose.