---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think I realized right away that…"
description: "\"I don't think I realized right away that I was switching from being a fan into being a performer. I've always tried to maintain that duality, because I..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/carrie-brownstein-1580_curious_i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that_620775.jpg"
---

#  I don't think I realized right away that I was switching…

![“I don't think I realized right away that I was switching from being a fan into being a performer. I've always tried to maintain that duality, because I think fandom is a way of being porous and curious, but it did feel like a step forward.” quote by Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/carrie-brownstein-1580_curious_i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that_620775.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/carrie-brownstein-1580_curious_i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that_620775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/carrie-brownstein-1580_curious_i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that_620775.jpg)

> “I don't think I realized right away that I was switching from being a fan into being a performer. I've always tried to maintain that duality, because I think fandom is a way of being porous and curious, but it did feel like a step forward.”

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Transitioning from fan to performer creates a dual perspective that fuels creativity and self‑awareness.

**In simple terms:** Fans become creators, gaining insight.

Key Takeaway

Embrace both roles.

Themes

identity creativity fan culture

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- music
- film
- public speaking

Key Concepts

performance self‑reflection

Questions to Reflect On

- How does fandom shape your creative work?
- What challenges arise when shifting roles?

A Different Perspective

Balancing duality can cause identity conflict.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Curious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious/) [Fan Performer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fan-performer-4433322/) [Fandom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fandom/) [Fandom Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fandom-way-5023367/) [Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forward/) [Realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realized/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step/) [Step forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step-forward/) [Think Fandom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-fandom-5023366/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [You'll still get guys with an array of badges to demonstrate their importance, but that just excludes people. I think fandom is more inclusive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/you-ll-still-get-guys-with-an-array-of-badges-to-demonstrate-their/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [To be a fan is to be curious, and to be curious is to have openness... Part of being a fan is to allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/to-be-a-fan-is-to-be-curious-and-to-be-curious-is-to-have-openness/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [“The difference is as basic as between a professional football player and a rabid fan. One is a performer in a harsh, unique corner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-difference-is-as-basic-as-between-a-professional-football-player/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [The way people reacted to me in dressing rooms and so on was incredibly aggressive. They know every record and they seem to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/the-way-people-reacted-to-me-in-dressing-rooms-and-so-on-was/)

[Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/)

> [I've always been a fan first and foremost - obsessing over bands and seeking out bands, and spending hours and hours listening. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-ve-always-been-a-fan-first-and-foremost-obsessing-over-bands-and/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [There's something that feels very timeless about fandom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/there-s-something-that-feels-very-timeless-about-fandom/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I like how blogging emulates fandom because it's so completist and spontaneous. It really mirrors the way people listen to music, and I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-like-how-blogging-emulates-fandom-because-it-s-so-completist-and/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [For film and television, it's interesting how fans feel that their particular ways of manifesting their affections are the correct ones. It's not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/for-film-and-television-it-s-interesting-how-fans-feel-that-their/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [So many things can be filtered through fandom - joy, compassion, love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/so-many-things-can-be-filtered-through-fandom-joy-compassion-love/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I felt like the last record was a real step forward for us. I was very pleased to see some people saying the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-meiburg/i-felt-like-the-last-record-was-a-real-step-forward-for-us-i-was-very/)

[Jonathan Meiburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-meiburg/)

> [To me, curiosity is married to optimism. And that's where a lot of my motivation comes from. A lot of my way out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/to-me-curiosity-is-married-to-optimism-and-that-s-where-a-lot-of-my/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [“A shipper thrives on emotional scraps, stolen glances and did-they-or-didn't-they tension.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/a-shipper-thrives-on-emotional-scraps-stolen-glances-and-did-they-or/)

[tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/)

> [“And it’s great to have all these readers and fans who, for the most part, are very nice people, saying they love the books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/and-it-s-great-to-have-all-these-readers-and-fans-who-for-the-most/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [With fantasy and sci-fi, it's based in a real fandom. You're presenting to experts, and their source material is really important to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-headey/with-fantasy-and-sci-fi-it-s-based-in-a-real-fandom-you-re-presenting/)

[Lena Headey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-headey/)

> [My goal with every show we put on Geek &amp; Sundry is to make it that big of a success, not just within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicia-day/my-goal-with-every-show-we-put-on-geek-sundry-is-to-make-it-that-big/)

[Felicia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicia-day/)

## More by Carrie Brownstein

> [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [Much of the music I remember from camp was unofficial: the songs a counselor would play for us on acoustic guitar or that an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/much-of-the-music-i-remember-from-camp-was-unofficial-the-songs-a/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [Rihanna has guts and she always seems to be singing from someplace honest, dark and fierce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/rihanna-has-guts-and-she-always-seems-to-be-singing-from-someplace/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I think there's a lot of wonderful comics that leave you hanging in a state of apprehension or anxiety before alleviating that tension with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-wonderful-comics-that-leave-you-hanging-in-a/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [Well, in some ways I had sort of the opposite experience of other people that are sort of dreaming of being in a rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/well-in-some-ways-i-had-sort-of-the-opposite-experience-of-other/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [There was a clarity to the Nineties. It was pre-9/11, before that anxiety kicked in that exists right now about the financial crisis or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/there-was-a-clarity-to-the-nineties-it-was-pre-9-11-before-that/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I think people would describe a lot of Sleater-Kinney as unsettling. And I don't think our best moments have sonic assonance to them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-think-people-would-describe-a-lot-of-sleater-kinney-as-unsettling/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I'm always trying to encourage people not to limit themselves in the same way that many of our parents stayed with one job forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-m-always-trying-to-encourage-people-not-to-limit-themselves-in-the/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [The game Rock Band has been haunting me like a bad ring tone. It gets stuck in my head and momentarily effaces all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/the-game-rock-band-has-been-haunting-me-like-a-bad-ring-tone-it-gets/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I've mostly been focusing on writing, and I've really enjoyed not playing music. It will always be part of my life, but I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-ve-mostly-been-focusing-on-writing-and-i-ve-really-enjoyed-not/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [To me, curiosity is married to optimism. And that's where a lot of my motivation comes from. A lot of my way out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/to-me-curiosity-is-married-to-optimism-and-that-s-where-a-lot-of-my/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [ \[I hate\] the ways that people want their special needs to be met, whether it's their food allergies or their special lotions or shoes.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-hate-the-ways-that-people-want-their-special-needs-to-be-met/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [No matter what people are struggling with, or based on whatever. Sexuality, ethnicity, economic status, size. I don't wish smallness for anyone. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/no-matter-what-people-are-struggling-with-or-based-on-whatever/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I would not call myself an optimist, even though I would aspire to be. I am innately a skeptic. There's kind of an incessant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-would-not-call-myself-an-optimist-even-though-i-would-aspire-to-be/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [I always find that nostalgia is sort of like memory without the pain. And that's why it feels so good to kind of bask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-always-find-that-nostalgia-is-sort-of-like-memory-without-the-pain/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

[Explore all 226 Carrie Brownstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

## More Curious quotes

> [“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/what-about-you-what-do-you-do-i-needed-to-ask-questions-draw-him-out/)

[Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/)

> [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/)

[Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/)

> [“The process of becoming curious is the movement away from simply living by what and how, and moving into the beautifully ambiguous and possibility-laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-tygrett/the-process-of-becoming-curious-is-the-movement-away-from-simply/)

[Casey Tygrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-tygrett/)

> [Real breakthroughs are not found because you want to develop some new technology, but because you are curious and want to find out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-zeilinger/real-breakthroughs-are-not-found-because-you-want-to-develop-some-new/)

[Anton Zeilinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-zeilinger/)

> [I don't know what successful journaling really looks like... I think it really does look so different for everyone who does it, I'm always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-abrams/i-don-t-know-what-successful-journaling-really-looks-like-i-think-it/)

[Gracie Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-abrams/)

> [“So curious you must be. Like little calves poking their heads through the fence with big eyes and a headful of curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carew-papritz/so-curious-you-must-be-like-little-calves-poking-their-heads-through/)

[Carew Papritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carew-papritz/)

> [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/)

[John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/)

> [Be curious not judge mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/be-curious-not-judge-mental/)

[Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/)

> [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/)

[Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/)

> [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/)

[Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/)

> [Easy, Curious George! Get your grubby hands off of that wheel!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/easy-curious-george-get-your-grubby-hands-off-of-that-wheel/)

[John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/)

> [We want to explore. We're curious people. Look back over history, people have put their lives at stake to go out and explore ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-collins/we-want-to-explore-we-re-curious-people-look-back-over-history-people/)

[Eileen Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-collins/)

> [When I think about unique insight, what I think about is here's your opportunity to tell me something that I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-seibel/when-i-think-about-unique-insight-what-i-think-about-is-here-s-your/)

[Michael Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-seibel/)

[Browse all 2,160 Curious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't think I realized right away that I was switching from being a fan into being a performer. I've always tried to maintain that duality, because I think fandom is a way of being porous and curious, but it did feel like a step forward.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Carrie Brownstein"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that-i-was-switching-from-being-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Curious"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that-i-was-switching-from-being-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/carrie-brownstein-1580_curious_i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that_620775.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/carrie-brownstein-1580_curious_i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that_620775.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/carrie-brownstein-1580_curious_i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that_620775.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't think I realized right away that I was switching from being a fan into being a performer. I've…” — Carrie Brownstein",
                "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": "Carrie Brownstein",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't think I realized right...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that-i-was-switching-from-being-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-don-t-think-i-realized-right-away-that-i-was-switching-from-being-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
