--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I made a real specific decision when I…" description: "\"I made a real specific decision when I came out of school and most artists were writing about home - if you were a woman, you were writing about being ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/anna-deavere-smith-4847_about_i-made-a-real-specific-decision-when-i-c_498691.png" --- # I made a real specific decision when I came out of school… ![“I made a real specific decision when I came out of school and most artists were writing about home - if you were a woman, you were writing about being a woman - and I decided not to do that, write about what you know. That's not what I do. I went as far away from home as possible in terms of the…” quote by Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/anna-deavere-smith-4847_about_i-made-a-real-specific-decision-when-i-c_498691.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/anna-deavere-smith-4847_about_i-made-a-real-specific-decision-when-i-c_498691.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/anna-deavere-smith-4847_about_i-made-a-real-specific-decision-when-i-c_498691.png) > “I made a real specific decision when I came out of school and most artists were writing about home - if you were a woman, you were writing about being a woman - and I decided not to do that, write about what you know. That's not what I do. I went as far away from home as possible in terms of the development of my imagination.” [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She chose to defy genre expectations, focusing on personal imagination rather than identity politics. **In simple terms:** She ignored expected topics, exploring her own imagination. Key Takeaway Break free from prescribed narratives. Themes individualism creativity identity artistic freedom Mood reflective determined inspirational Type statement personal essay interview When to use this quote - writing workshops - artistic retreats - career planning - personal branding Key Concepts self‑definition imagination cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - How does ignoring expected topics shape your voice? - When is it valuable to embrace identity themes? A Different Perspective May limit audience connection if themes feel too personal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I tend to not try and listen to a lot of other artists while I'm writing, because if I hear something that's brilliant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beckett/i-tend-to-not-try-and-listen-to-a-lot-of-other-artists-while-i-m/) [William Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beckett/) > [I find a ton of inspiration from the artists that I'm writing with, that I'm playing shows with, and that I'm sitting down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-ragan/i-find-a-ton-of-inspiration-from-the-artists-that-i-m-writing-with/) [Chuck Ragan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-ragan/) > [There are dance artists, painting artists and writing artists. 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Rimbaud writing home from Ethiopia”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-chatwin/what-am-i-doing-here-rimbaud-writing-home-from-ethiopia/) [Bruce Chatwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-chatwin/) > [There are so many things that come into writing a recipe, and it's really important if you're writing for home cooks to be cooking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-schneider/there-are-so-many-things-that-come-into-writing-a-recipe-and-it-s/) [Sally Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-schneider/) > [“If you want to write, start writing now in your own home town and write every day as hard as you can; do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/if-you-want-to-write-start-writing-now-in-your-own-home-town-and/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [The nice thing about writing at home is that it's almost as though I'm doing it already. 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I'm writing from home so I don't have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-wein/when-you-re-an-artist-your-personal-life-and-your-professional-life/) [Daryl Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-wein/) > [When I'm not working in a professional capacity, I'm writing, and when I'm at home, it's a way of having contact with people or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-cave/when-i-m-not-working-in-a-professional-capacity-i-m-writing-and-when/) [Jessie Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-cave/) ## More by Anna Deavere Smith > [I feel like my work has been my path to freedom from having grown up in a segregated environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-feel-like-my-work-has-been-my-path-to-freedom-from-having-grown-up/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Identity is an assemblage of constellations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/identity-is-an-assemblage-of-constellations/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I think some of our most talented people are not going to pick the arts as a way that they're going to spend their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-think-some-of-our-most-talented-people-are-not-going-to-pick-the/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I mean, I think that - as an actress, in particular, I'm basically a fool, and I see the world upside down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-mean-i-think-that-as-an-actress-in-particular-i-m-basically-a-fool/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [The American idea is as promising, imaginative, and full of the unexpected as the land itself. 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Real self-esteem is an integration of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/self-esteem-does-not-come-from-surrounding-yourself-with-people-and/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [People realize that we're very good at sending people to war, but we're not good at taking care of them. And people are coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/people-realize-that-we-re-very-good-at-sending-people-to-war-but-we/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I love studying how people are. Not just what they're saying, but how they are, what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-love-studying-how-people-are-not-just-what-they-re-saying-but-how/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Many people are afraid to talk about race because it's so emotionally loaded. We don't have the vocabulary to talk about it. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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