--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm actually living my life with the…" description: "\"I'm actually living my life with the material I choose to work with.\" — Ang Lee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/ang-lee-2496_actually_i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-mat_2559752.png" --- # I'm actually living my life with the material I choose to… ![“I'm actually living my life with the material I choose to work with.” quote by Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/ang-lee-2496_actually_i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-mat_2559752.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/ang-lee-2496_actually_i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-mat_2559752.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/ang-lee-2496_actually_i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-mat_2559752.png) > “I'm actually living my life with the material I choose to work with.” [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He expresses living his life using the material he chooses to work with, implying intentionality in his choices. **In simple terms:** Live using chosen material and work. Key Takeaway Align life with purposeful choices. Themes creativity intentionality life design Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - career decisions - project selection - budgeting - personal branding - lifestyle design Key Concepts material selection personal agency artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What materials define your work? - How do constraints shape your choices? A Different Perspective It may overlook external constraints on material availability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually-living/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-life/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Over time, you accumulate a lot of life material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/over-time-you-accumulate-a-lot-of-life-material/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [He is a state of matter, a form of life, a sort of animal, and a species of the Order Primates, akin nearly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-is-a-state-of-matter-a-form-of-life-a-sort-of-animal-and-a-species/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For me, I think you make a choice what kind of actor you want to be, and then it's kind of the material you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-brandt/for-me-i-think-you-make-a-choice-what-kind-of-actor-you-want-to-be/) [Betsy Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-brandt/) > [The material I did was lasting material. A lot of people thought I wasn't doing anything, but I was in the studio. The biggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slim-whitman/the-material-i-did-was-lasting-material-a-lot-of-people-thought-i/) [Slim Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slim-whitman/) > [“And is not all of life material- based on the material- permeated by the material? Should not one learn, gladly, to utilize the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/and-is-not-all-of-life-material-based-on-the-material-permeated-by/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [I always viewed life as material for a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-baumbach/i-always-viewed-life-as-material-for-a-movie/) [Noah Baumbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-baumbach/) > [Life is not about material things, but boy is it nice to enjoy them. Hard Work pays off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-material-things-but-boy-is-it-nice-to-enjoy-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So, you know, I think any life has in it enough material, enough points of departure, to fuel a writer's career and that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/so-you-know-i-think-any-life-has-in-it-enough-material-enough-points/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [A writer turns his life into material, and if you’re in his life, he uses yours, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/a-writer-turns-his-life-into-material-and-if-you-re-in-his-life-he/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [Tell me what's the point of life, Is it material? Had everything I could ever want and probably more. When I lay in bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tell-me-what-s-the-point-of-life-is-it-material-had-everything-i-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tell me what's the point of life Is it material? Had everything I could ever want and probably more When I lay in bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alonesleeping-with-sirens/tell-me-what-s-the-point-of-life-is-it-material-had-everything-i/) AloneSleeping With Sirens > [Reshaping life! People who can say that have never understood a thing about life—they have never felt its breath, its heartbeat—however much they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-pasternak/reshaping-life-people-who-can-say-that-have-never-understood-a-thing/) [Boris Pasternak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-pasternak/) > [For nearly a quarter of a century, I have been engaged in the investigation of the fundamentals of life, the material universe and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/for-nearly-a-quarter-of-a-century-i-have-been-engaged-in-the/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [“Whatever you do and have in life (material stuff, relationships, etc.) either adds value to your life or drags you down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-fringe/whatever-you-do-and-have-in-life-material-stuff-relationships-etc/) Nicholas Fringe > [Basically the movies I make are my life, so I choose how I want to live my life for the next two years. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/basically-the-movies-i-make-are-my-life-so-i-choose-how-i-want-to/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) ## More by Ang Lee > [When I'm not working, I get very down, but when I am working, I get very immersed in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/when-i-m-not-working-i-get-very-down-but-when-i-am-working-i-get-very/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I am not particularly religious. But I think we do face the question of where God is, why we are created and where does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-am-not-particularly-religious-but-i-think-we-do-face-the-question/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I'm not a romantic. In life I didn't have much experience with romance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-m-not-a-romantic-in-life-i-didn-t-have-much-experience-with-romance/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [When I see something I like, that's all that counts. What they use, how they get there, I never bother them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/when-i-see-something-i-like-that-s-all-that-counts-what-they-use-how/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Mostly it's like, I get inspired by something and I want to learn that part of filmmaking, I want to delve into that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/mostly-it-s-like-i-get-inspired-by-something-and-i-want-to-learn-that/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Film study was considered disgraceful by my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/film-study-was-considered-disgraceful-by-my-father/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I hope people don't compare 2D and 3D because 3D's new, it's unfair to compare to 2D which is really sophisticated, even when we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-hope-people-don-t-compare-2d-and-3d-because-3d-s-new-it-s-unfair-to/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [On a Chinese film you just give orders, no one questions you. Here, you have to convince people, you have to tell them why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/on-a-chinese-film-you-just-give-orders-no-one-questions-you-here-you/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I had to test a new terror in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-had-to-test-a-new-terror-in-myself/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [My cultural roots are something illusive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/my-cultural-roots-are-something-illusive/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Kids don't even read comic books anymore. They've got more important things to do - like video games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/kids-don-t-even-read-comic-books-anymore-they-ve-got-more-important/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't care about writing really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-care-about-writing-really/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't have incredible knowledge about films or of filmmaking history; I'm not that kind of person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-have-incredible-knowledge-about-films-or-of-filmmaking/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I don't think the Hulk is a superhero. He's the first Marvel character who is a tragic monster. Really an anti-hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-think-the-hulk-is-a-superhero-he-s-the-first-marvel-character/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [A lot of people will think I changed the book: ‘so you’re the tiger instead, you’re the tiger who ate the cook.’ That’d be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/a-lot-of-people-will-think-i-changed-the-book-so-you-re-the-tiger/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) [Explore all 163 Ang Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm actually living my life with the material I choose to work with.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ang Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-material-i-choose-to-work-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actually" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-material-i-choose-to-work-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/ang-lee-2496_actually_i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-mat_2559752.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/ang-lee-2496_actually_i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-mat_2559752.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/ang-lee-2496_actually_i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-mat_2559752.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm actually living my life with the material I choose to work with.” — Ang Lee", "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": "Ang Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm actually living my life with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-material-i-choose-to-work-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-m-actually-living-my-life-with-the-material-i-choose-to-work-with/#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 } } ] } ```