---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did a weird thing when I was about 24…"
description: "\"I did a weird thing when I was about 24. For four years I had written quite a lot of poetry, and I started reading through it and thought some of it wa..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/cliff-curtis-34922_about_i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24_2857132.jpg"
---

#  I did a weird thing when I was about 24. For four years I…

![“I did a weird thing when I was about 24. For four years I had written quite a lot of poetry, and I started reading through it and thought some of it was really good. So I burnt it all.” quote by Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/cliff-curtis-34922_about_i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24_2857132.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/cliff-curtis-34922_about_i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24_2857132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/cliff-curtis-34922_about_i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24_2857132.jpg)

> “I did a weird thing when I was about 24. For four years I had written quite a lot of poetry, and I started reading through it and thought some of it was really good. So I burnt it all.”

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

## About This Quote

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

Destroying one's past work can be an act of self‑critique, seeking renewal.

**In simple terms:** Burning old poetry is a way to start fresh.

Key Takeaway

Embrace creative evolution.

Themes

self‑critique renewal artistic growth

Mood

reflective introspective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- writing practice
- personal reinvention
- artistic risk

Key Concepts

impermanence identity reconstruction

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives you to discard creations?
- How can you preserve valuable lessons?

A Different Perspective

Destruction may hinder learning from past work.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[24 Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/24-years-739496/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Burnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burnt/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Four years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four-years/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poetry Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry-started-3592268/) [Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-reading/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Weird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weird/) [Weird thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weird-thing/) [Weird things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weird-things/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-written-1153086/)

## Related quotes

> [A lot of things appearing under my byline were written in one draft. But when I started to write poetry, I started getting fussy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meltzer/a-lot-of-things-appearing-under-my-byline-were-written-in-one-draft/)

[Richard Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meltzer/)

> [I have seldom written a story, long or short, that I did not have to write and rewrite. There are single stories of mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/i-have-seldom-written-a-story-long-or-short-that-i-did-not-have-to/)

[Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/)

> [“A good song gathers the years in. It's why you can sing it with such conviction 40 years after it's been written. A good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/a-good-song-gathers-the-years-in-it-s-why-you-can-sing-it-with-such/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I've been with Life now for seventeen years and I have written several articles for them and will be doing more writing and do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-ve-been-with-life-now-for-seventeen-years-and-i-have-written/)

[Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/)

> [Amazon's been around for 24 years, and now they're doing what any 24-year-old does: move to New York and gentrify a neighborhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaboukie-young-white/amazon-s-been-around-for-24-years-and-now-they-re-doing-what-any-24/)

[Jaboukie Young-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaboukie-young-white/)

> [Nicholas Anelka - 24 years of age but he's been around a lot longer than that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keegan/nicholas-anelka-24-years-of-age-but-he-s-been-around-a-lot-longer/)

[Kevin Keegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keegan/)

> [I have been in the Democratic Caucus in the Senate for over 24 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-have-been-in-the-democratic-caucus-in-the-senate-for-over-24-years/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [I'm 24 years old and yeah, I'm a different person and I'm definitely more mature, but these are the tops that I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-wilkinson/i-m-24-years-old-and-yeah-i-m-a-different-person-and-i-m-definitely/)

[Kendra Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-wilkinson/)

> [I played a lot of nightclubs in and around Tulsa till I was about 22, 24 years old, then I started travellin' around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-cale/i-played-a-lot-of-nightclubs-in-and-around-tulsa-till-i-was-about-22/)

[J. J. Cale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-cale/)

> [I have been through two wars in my 24 years, and I know what it's like to be without anything, to see the bombs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novak-djokovic/i-have-been-through-two-wars-in-my-24-years-and-i-know-what-it-s-like/)

[Novak Djokovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novak-djokovic/)

> [I'd never even seen a play by the time I was 24 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corbett/i-d-never-even-seen-a-play-by-the-time-i-was-24-years-old/)

[John Corbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corbett/)

> [I've played the game for 23, 24 years. Four months off, I'm not going to lose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-koepka/i-ve-played-the-game-for-23-24-years-four-months-off-i-m-not-going-to/)

[Brooks Koepka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-koepka/)

> [To be in the UFC would mean to go back to where I already won the belt, to go back to where I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-barnett/to-be-in-the-ufc-would-mean-to-go-back-to-where-i-already-won-the/)

[Josh Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-barnett/)

> [My life, between 22 yards for 24 years... It's hard to imagine that this is coming to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachin-tendulkar/my-life-between-22-yards-for-24-years-it-s-hard-to-imagine-that-this/)

[Sachin Tendulkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachin-tendulkar/)

> [I spent 24 years in the United States Army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ojeda/i-spent-24-years-in-the-united-states-army/)

[Richard Ojeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ojeda/)

## More by Cliff Curtis

> [I take the responsibility of playing another ethnicity very, very seriously, and I promise myself and those people that I will represent them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-take-the-responsibility-of-playing-another-ethnicity-very-very/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [I was a manual labourer. I figured out really early on that the value of my life could be determined by my hourly rate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-was-a-manual-labourer-i-figured-out-really-early-on-that-the-value/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [My priority in life is my whanau, followed by my work as an artist, which has blessed me with the ability to provide opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/my-priority-in-life-is-my-whanau-followed-by-my-work-as-an-artist/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [As an actor... at some point you've got to forget that the crew's there in order to do your job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/as-an-actor-at-some-point-you-ve-got-to-forget-that-the-crew-s-there/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [But I felt like Pablo Escobar felt like he was an honorable businessman. And when he killed people, I think he felt he did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/but-i-felt-like-pablo-escobar-felt-like-he-was-an-honorable/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [As an actor, you've got to have faith in the director's vision, that the director has a vision for this that is greater than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/as-an-actor-you-ve-got-to-have-faith-in-the-director-s-vision-that/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [While I respect my cousin Annette Sykes' commitment in engaging in the political process, I do not endorse or support any political party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/while-i-respect-my-cousin-annette-sykes-commitment-in-engaging-in-the/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [I believe in collaboration, which is why I work with others to make positive contributions of consequence, and why I have made a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-believe-in-collaboration-which-is-why-i-work-with-others-to-make/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [I put on close to 60 pounds for 'Genesis,' an independent movie from New Zealand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-put-on-close-to-60-pounds-for-genesis-an-independent-movie-from-new/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [I don't play bad guys. I think that's why I keep getting cast as bad guys: because I don't want to play bad guys.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-don-t-play-bad-guys-i-think-that-s-why-i-keep-getting-cast-as-bad/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [I ate fantastic Italian food in Croatia, which you wouldn't expect. The food in Istanbul was amazing. I never would've expected that and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-ate-fantastic-italian-food-in-croatia-which-you-wouldn-t-expect-the/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [People were nicer to me when I was in the arts. I experienced extreme racism in small-town New Zealand. Racism which really went away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/people-were-nicer-to-me-when-i-was-in-the-arts-i-experienced-extreme/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [I'm still waiting for Peter Jackson to let me play an elf. I want to play Orlando Bloom's father. No, Orlando Bloom's younger, hotter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-m-still-waiting-for-peter-jackson-to-let-me-play-an-elf-i-want-to/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

[Explore all 14 Cliff Curtis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. 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?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

[Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I did a weird thing when I was about 24. For four years I had written quite a lot of poetry, and I started reading through it and thought some of it was really good. So I burnt it all.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cliff Curtis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24-for-four-years-i-had-written/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24-for-four-years-i-had-written/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/cliff-curtis-34922_about_i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24_2857132.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/cliff-curtis-34922_about_i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24_2857132.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/cliff-curtis-34922_about_i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24_2857132.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I did a weird thing when I was about 24. For four years I had written quite a lot of poetry, and I started…” — Cliff Curtis",
                "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": "Cliff Curtis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I did a weird thing when...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24-for-four-years-i-had-written/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-did-a-weird-thing-when-i-was-about-24-for-four-years-i-had-written/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
