--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems a strange thing, but once I was…" description: "\"It seems a strange thing, but once I was able to get past that kind of self-image problem, I was able to open up in my comedy work and just go all out,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3c/amy-poehler-1084_able_it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was_74005.jpg" --- # It seems a strange thing, but once I was able to get past… ![“It seems a strange thing, but once I was able to get past that kind of self-image problem, I was able to open up in my comedy work and just go all out, take chances, and have fun with the performance aspect of that.” quote by Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3c/amy-poehler-1084_able_it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was_74005.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3c/amy-poehler-1084_able_it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was_74005.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3c/amy-poehler-1084_able_it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was_74005.jpg) > “It seems a strange thing, but once I was able to get past that kind of self-image problem, I was able to open up in my comedy work and just go all out, take chances, and have fun with the performance aspect of that.” [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overcoming a limiting self‑image unlocks creative risk‑taking and enjoyment in performance. **In simple terms:** Shedding self‑doubt fuels artistic freedom. Key Takeaway Self‑image can block creative expression. Themes self‑confidence creativity performance risk‑taking authenticity Mood empowered playful Type personal insight creative advice When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - improv workshops - theatrical rehearsals - public speaking - creative writing Key Concepts identity humor growth Practical Applications - Developing bold comedic material - Enhancing audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑image shape your work? - What steps can you take to release self‑judgment? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Having fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-fun/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-image/) [Strange things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange-things/) [Take a chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-a-chance/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not a big 'scripted comedy' person necessarily. I'm open for wherever comedy can be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-krisel/i-m-not-a-big-scripted-comedy-person-necessarily-i-m-open-for/) [Jonathan Krisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-krisel/) > [I was open to anything, but comedy was what I really loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lloyd/i-was-open-to-anything-but-comedy-was-what-i-really-loved/) [Sam Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lloyd/) > [Maybe if you and ten of your friends could pool your savings and borrow some money and actually buy some obscure station in Sonoma,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maybe-if-you-and-ten-of-your-friends-could-pool-your-savings-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don’t take life too seriously! Nobody gets out alive anyway. Smile. Be goofy. Take chances. Have fun. Inspire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-gluskin/don-t-take-life-too-seriously-nobody-gets-out-alive-anyway-smile-be/) [Dawn Gluskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-gluskin/) > [The first thing I do in the editing room is the 'radio edit,' where you listen to the dialogue and don't even look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/the-first-thing-i-do-in-the-editing-room-is-the-radio-edit-where-you/) [Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/) > [To me, horror and comedy never work. Never worked for me, anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/to-me-horror-and-comedy-never-work-never-worked-for-me-anyway/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [I think I'm known mostly for comedy because most of the work I've done is comedy and that is in turn because most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranvir-shorey/i-think-i-m-known-mostly-for-comedy-because-most-of-the-work-i-ve/) [Ranvir Shorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranvir-shorey/) > [I just want to keep doing my comedy work because that's what I do. I made a name for myself playing other characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayvan-novak/i-just-want-to-keep-doing-my-comedy-work-because-that-s-what-i-do-i/) [Kayvan Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayvan-novak/) > [It's very difficult to make comedy work; I think it's a very underrated genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-scott/it-s-very-difficult-to-make-comedy-work-i-think-it-s-a-very/) [Andrew Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-scott/) > [I watch a lot of drama because I do associate comedy with work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-watch-a-lot-of-drama-because-i-do-associate-comedy-with-work/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [There's so much joy in doing comedy work, and that's one of the reasons I like to do it - because it's just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/there-s-so-much-joy-in-doing-comedy-work-and-that-s-one-of-the/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [I've always been a fan of comedy, and I understood from a young age that what makes most comedy work is the immediacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/i-ve-always-been-a-fan-of-comedy-and-i-understood-from-a-young-age/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [I've been a comedian for a long time so writing and performing is a big part of what I do. If anybody's doing comedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colton-dunn/i-ve-been-a-comedian-for-a-long-time-so-writing-and-performing-is-a/) [Colton Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colton-dunn/) > [For a comedy to work, magic has to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-cooper/for-a-comedy-to-work-magic-has-to-happen/) [Bradley Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-cooper/) > [I think the reward for doing comedy is doing the comedy itself. You get to go to work everyday and laugh and make other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/i-think-the-reward-for-doing-comedy-is-doing-the-comedy-itself-you/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) ## More by Amy Poehler > [When youre a stay-at-home mother you have to pretend its really boring, but its not. Its enriching and fulfilling, and an amazing experience. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/when-youre-a-stay-at-home-mother-you-have-to-pretend-its-really/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I hope and assume that every good comedy writer, no matter the age, has a moment where they discover how great Cheers is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-hope-and-assume-that-every-good-comedy-writer-no-matter-the-age-has/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I also think if you're an actor and you can improvise, when you go on an audition and you can improvise you're just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-also-think-if-you-re-an-actor-and-you-can-improvise-when-you-go-on/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Sleep can completely change your entire outlook on life. One good night's sleep can help you realize that you shouldn't break up with someone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/sleep-can-completely-change-your-entire-outlook-on-life-one-good/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Career is the stringing together of opportunities and jobs. Mix in public opinion and past regrets. Add a dash of future panic and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/career-is-the-stringing-together-of-opportunities-and-jobs-mix-in/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/as-you-navigate-through-the-rest-of-your-life-be-open-to/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I like hard work and I don’t like pretending things are perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-like-hard-work-and-i-don-t-like-pretending-things-are-perfect/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [The pressure of 'what are you going to do?' makes everyone feel like they haven't done anything yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/the-pressure-of-what-are-you-going-to-do-makes-everyone-feel-like/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I ate two waffles, a banana and cereal with blueberries. And that whas between my two breakfasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-ate-two-waffles-a-banana-and-cereal-with-blueberries-and-that-whas/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [ “\[On getting older\]: You can witness young people embarrassing themselves and get a thrill--that it's not you. You can watch them throw around their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/on-getting-older-you-can-witness-young-people-embarrassing-themselves/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Too often we women try to tackle chaos that is not ours to fix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/too-often-we-women-try-to-tackle-chaos-that-is-not-ours-to-fix/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Try to keep your mind open to possibilities and your mouth closed on matters that you don't know about. Limit your 'always' and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/try-to-keep-your-mind-open-to-possibilities-and-your-mouth-closed-on/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [All we do is watch The Wire and go out to dinner with our friends. I wish I could tell you that we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/all-we-do-is-watch-the-wire-and-go-out-to-dinner-with-our-friends-i/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I have these meetings with really powerful men and they ask me all the time, 'Where are your kids? Are your kids here?' It's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-have-these-meetings-with-really-powerful-men-and-they-ask-me-all/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Women need to take charge of their lives and be as dynamic and active as they can be. I know that some people feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/women-need-to-take-charge-of-their-lives-and-be-as-dynamic-and-active/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) [Explore all 296 Amy Poehler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It seems a strange thing, but once I was able to get past that kind of self-image problem, I was able to open up in my comedy work and just go all out, take chances, and have fun with the performance aspect of that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amy Poehler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was-able-to-get-past-that-kind-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was-able-to-get-past-that-kind-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3c/amy-poehler-1084_able_it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was_74005.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3c/amy-poehler-1084_able_it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was_74005.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3c/amy-poehler-1084_able_it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was_74005.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It seems a strange thing, but once I was able to get past that kind of self-image problem, I was able to…” — Amy Poehler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amy Poehler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It seems a strange thing, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was-able-to-get-past-that-kind-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was-able-to-get-past-that-kind-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```