---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My upbringing has been pushing and…"
description: "\"My upbringing has been pushing and pulling my work my whole life. At first it pushed me away, as I sought to clean up my mind with a style that was sli..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/clayton-james-cubitt-82661_fantasy_my-upbringing-has-been-pushing-and-pulli_2827311.jpg"
---

#  My upbringing has been pushing and pulling my work my…

![“My upbringing has been pushing and pulling my work my whole life. At first it pushed me away, as I sought to clean up my mind with a style that was slick and glossy, aspirational and wrapped in fantasy. That's still largely how I approach my fashion work. More recently it's pulled me back…” quote by Clayton James Cubitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/clayton-james-cubitt-82661_fantasy_my-upbringing-has-been-pushing-and-pulli_2827311.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/clayton-james-cubitt-82661_fantasy_my-upbringing-has-been-pushing-and-pulli_2827311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/clayton-james-cubitt-82661_fantasy_my-upbringing-has-been-pushing-and-pulli_2827311.jpg)

> “My upbringing has been pushing and pulling my work my whole life. At first it pushed me away, as I sought to clean up my mind with a style that was slick and glossy, aspirational and wrapped in fantasy. That's still largely how I approach my fashion work. More recently it's pulled me back, particularly since Katrina, and as I get older and lose some of that shame that's inherited with poverty.”

[Clayton James Cubitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-james-cubitt/)

## About This Quote

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

Personal history of push‑pull dynamics shapes creative work, blending aspiration with grounded reality, especially after trauma.

**In simple terms:** Life’s pushes and pulls shape artistic style.

Key Takeaway

Balance aspiration with grounded experience.

Themes

growth trauma creativity

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

artistic personal

When to use this quote

- fashion design
- healing arts
- career evolution

Key Concepts

personal history artistic development

Questions to Reflect On

- How does trauma influence your art?
- What helps you stay grounded?

A Different Perspective

May romanticize trauma as necessary.

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[Approach Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach-fashion-392806/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Fashion Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion-work-1977439/) [Katrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/katrina/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Pushed away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pushed-away/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Slick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slick/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Upbringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upbringing/) [Upbringing Pushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upbringing-pushing-3633740/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/)

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

## More by Clayton James Cubitt

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[Explore all 3 Clayton James Cubitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-james-cubitt/)

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