--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You start with an idea but then so many…" description: "\"You start with an idea but then so many things can happen.\" — Christian Marclay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/christian-marclay-23269_ideas_you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many_1000284.jpg" --- # You start with an idea but then so many things can happen. ![“You start with an idea but then so many things can happen.” quote by Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/christian-marclay-23269_ideas_you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many_1000284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/christian-marclay-23269_ideas_you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many_1000284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/christian-marclay-23269_ideas_you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many_1000284.jpg) > “You start with an idea but then so many things can happen.” [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative projects begin with a seed idea, but many unpredictable factors influence the final outcome. **In simple terms:** Ideas evolve as many variables intervene. Key Takeaway Stay adaptable and embrace change. Themes creativity process uncertainty adaptation Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - artistic production - startup development - research projects Key Concepts creative flow project management external influences Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can protect an idea’s core? - How do you balance flexibility with original intent? A Different Perspective Unforeseen obstacles can derail original visions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) ## Related quotes > [We like the idea that the things we do seem to come out of nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bangalter/we-like-the-idea-that-the-things-we-do-seem-to-come-out-of-nowhere/) [Thomas Bangalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bangalter/) > [I never said I had no idea about most of the things you said I said I had no idea about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/i-never-said-i-had-no-idea-about-most-of-the-things-you-said-i-said-i/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [“Great things take time. Your business idea is one of those things. If it’s taking time, it means your idea is trying to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-agnihotri/great-things-take-time-your-business-idea-is-one-of-those-things-if/) [Pooja Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-agnihotri/) > [My own idea is that these things are as piffle before the wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-ashford/my-own-idea-is-that-these-things-are-as-piffle-before-the-wind/) [Daisy Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-ashford/) > [We had no idea that things like Facebook and Twitter, and all these other concepts, would ever happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-cooper/we-had-no-idea-that-things-like-facebook-and-twitter-and-all-these/) [Martin Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-cooper/) > [A lot of times, you have an idea, and all the things you are thinking about might fuel it. But that's not where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/a-lot-of-times-you-have-an-idea-and-all-the-things-you-are-thinking/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I was obsessed with this idea that these things that you collect, they just say so much about who you are. I can't say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/i-was-obsessed-with-this-idea-that-these-things-that-you-collect-they/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [When you get an idea, so many things come in that one moment. You could write the sound of that idea, or the sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/when-you-get-an-idea-so-many-things-come-in-that-one-moment-you-could-2/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [When you get an idea, so many things come in that one moment. You could write the sound of that idea, or the sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/when-you-get-an-idea-so-many-things-come-in-that-one-moment-you-could/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [I like the idea that things can exist in different formats - in a gallery, a fashion ad, in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juergen-teller/i-like-the-idea-that-things-can-exist-in-different-formats-in-a/) [Juergen Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juergen-teller/) > [“You have no idea how much “no” there is in all things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-pink/you-have-no-idea-how-much-no-there-is-in-all-things/) [Sam Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-pink/) > [The entrepreneurs that really make it are the ones that start with an idea but are ready to change it at a moment's notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/the-entrepreneurs-that-really-make-it-are-the-ones-that-start-with-an/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [The most important step of all is the first step. Start something! What if that idea you have in the back of your head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-mycoskie/the-most-important-step-of-all-is-the-first-step-start-something-what/) [Blake Mycoskie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-mycoskie/) > [My films usually start with an idea that I get while walking the streets. For example, I got the idea for 'Guard Dog' when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-plympton/my-films-usually-start-with-an-idea-that-i-get-while-walking-the/) [Bill Plympton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-plympton/) > [A publication depends on a great idea, not there being a market out there. You start with an idea rather than trying to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-heiskell/a-publication-depends-on-a-great-idea-not-there-being-a-market-out/) Andrew Heiskell ## More by Christian Marclay > [Photography is solitary and there are lags between seeing with your eyes and seeing through the lens, and then seeing the image on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/photography-is-solitary-and-there-are-lags-between-seeing-with-your/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [With improvisation, I just do it. It might be a total failure but then you just throw the dice again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/with-improvisation-i-just-do-it-it-might-be-a-total-failure-but-then/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [It's the way life is, I suppose. Whatever happens, you deal with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/it-s-the-way-life-is-i-suppose-whatever-happens-you-deal-with-it/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [As an artist, you're always somewhat obscure. We're not talking Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/as-an-artist-you-re-always-somewhat-obscure-we-re-not-talking/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [ \[Photography\] can be tiny, on your phone, or it can be a billboard, or a film-sized projection, or printed in a magazine. I don't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/photography-can-be-tiny-on-your-phone-or-it-can-be-a-billboard-or-a/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [It was part of a financial situation. I could only afford records in thrift stores. Then you could find wonderful things, but now everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/it-was-part-of-a-financial-situation-i-could-only-afford-records-in/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [These things I sample, or clip, are things that we share - music, films, sounds. It triggers a layer of participation from the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/these-things-i-sample-or-clip-are-things-that-we-share-music-films/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [The process of editing is what I enjoy most - putting the pieces together and making sense out of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/the-process-of-editing-is-what-i-enjoy-most-putting-the-pieces/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [I have never been much of a painter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/i-have-never-been-much-of-a-painter/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [I've never been a big cinephile, which may be why I could treat 'The Clock' like a puzzle and force the pieces to fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/i-ve-never-been-a-big-cinephile-which-may-be-why-i-could-treat-the/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [Record Without A Cover' was about allowing the medium to come through, making a record that was not a document of a performance but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/record-without-a-cover-was-about-allowing-the-medium-to-come-through/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [I've worked with collage a lot. And there's this chance thing that happens - you don't always control things. Why did you find this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/i-ve-worked-with-collage-a-lot-and-there-s-this-chance-thing-that/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [We go to the movies to forget about time, to be in a dream state. And it's entertainment, distraction, from the fact that everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/we-go-to-the-movies-to-forget-about-time-to-be-in-a-dream-state-and/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [You can get so many sounds out of one record. Every record can be used in some way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/you-can-get-so-many-sounds-out-of-one-record-every-record-can-be-used/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [Every person's remembering will be different. That engagement is important, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/every-person-s-remembering-will-be-different-that-engagement-is/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) [Explore all 26 Christian Marclay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) ## More Happen quotes > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [“More, much more, will happen after this. Things involving maps and books and true love and tragedy, tragedy like you wouldn't believe. But fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/more-much-more-will-happen-after-this-things-involving-maps-and-books/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [“What would happen if you didn’t do the thing you “have to” do?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brodie/what-would-happen-if-you-didn-t-do-the-thing-you-have-to-do/) [Richard Brodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brodie/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [“But if that was going to happen, it was going to happen whether or not he worried about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/but-if-that-was-going-to-happen-it-was-going-to-happen-whether-or-not/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [I'm an American, and always will be. I happen to love that big, awkward, sprawling country very much - and its big, awkward, sprawling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-jones/i-m-an-american-and-always-will-be-i-happen-to-love-that-big-awkward/) [James Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-jones/) > [Kittens can happen to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/kittens-can-happen-to-anyone/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [I've been working with a holistic specialist, trying to bring my body into balance, and part of making that happen is putting my mom's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-bernsen/i-ve-been-working-with-a-holistic-specialist-trying-to-bring-my-body/) [Corbin Bernsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corbin-bernsen/) > [Nothing bad can happen to a writer. Everything is material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/nothing-bad-can-happen-to-a-writer-everything-is-material/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [If you do what you're supposed to do, it will come to you - it will happen on its own. I don't count numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/if-you-do-what-you-re-supposed-to-do-it-will-come-to-you-it-will/) [Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/) > [“History mattered. But it could not guarantee what might happen next.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-gable/history-mattered-but-it-could-not-guarantee-what-might-happen-next/) [Michelle Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-gable/) > [When I went to New York to try and make it, I never thought it wouldn't happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/when-i-went-to-new-york-to-try-and-make-it-i-never-thought-it-wouldn/) [Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/) > [“Everything changes, sweetheart. The universe loves to happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-olsen/everything-changes-sweetheart-the-universe-loves-to-happen/) [Lance Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-olsen/) Browse all 2,776 Happen quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You start with an idea but then so many things can happen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christian Marclay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many-things-can-happen/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happen" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many-things-can-happen/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/christian-marclay-23269_ideas_you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many_1000284.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/christian-marclay-23269_ideas_you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many_1000284.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/christian-marclay-23269_ideas_you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many_1000284.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You start with an idea but then so many things can happen.” — Christian Marclay", "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": "Christian Marclay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You start with an idea but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many-things-can-happen/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/you-start-with-an-idea-but-then-so-many-things-can-happen/#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 } } ] } ```