--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's an old story,\" Julia says, leaning…" description: "\"“It's an old story,\" Julia says, leaning back in her chair. \"Only for me, it's new. I went to school for industrial design. All my life I've been fasci..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cd/david-levithan-67_industrial-design_it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-bac_751516.jpg" --- # It's an old story," Julia says, leaning back in her chair… ![“It's an old story," Julia says, leaning back in her chair. "Only for me, it's new. I went to school for industrial design. All my life I've been fascinated by chairs - I know it sounds silly, but it's true. Form meets purpose in a chair. My parents thought I was crazy, but somehow I convinced them…” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cd/david-levithan-67_industrial-design_it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-bac_751516.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cd/david-levithan-67_industrial-design_it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-bac_751516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cd/david-levithan-67_industrial-design_it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-bac_751516.jpg) > ““It's an old story," Julia says, leaning back in her chair. "Only for me, it's new. I went to school for industrial design. All my life I've been fascinated by chairs - I know it sounds silly, but it's true. Form meets purpose in a chair. My parents thought I was crazy, but somehow I convinced them to pay my way to California. To study furniture design. I was all excited at first. It was totally unlike me to go so far away from home. But I was sick of the cold and sick of the snow. I figured a little sun might change my life. So I headed down to L.A. and roomed with a friend of an ex-girlfriend of my brother's. She was an aspiring radio actress, which meant she was home a lot. At first, I loved it. I didn't even let the summer go by. I dove right into my classes. Soon enough, I learned I couldn't just focus on chairs. I had to design spoons and toilet-bowl cleaners and thermostats. The math never bothered me, but the professors did. They could demolish you in a second without giving you a clue if how to rebuild. I spent more and more time in the studio, with other crazed students who guarded their projects like toy-jealous kids. I started to go for walks. Long walks. I couldn't go home because my roommate was always there. The sun was too much for me, so I'd stay indoors. I spent hours in supermarkets, walking aisle to aisle, picking up groceries and then putting them back. I went to bowling alleys and pharmacies. I rode buses that kept their lights on all night. I sat in Laundromats because once upon a time Laundromats made me happy. But now the hum of the machines sounded like life going past. Finally, one night I sat too long in the laundry. The woman who folded in the back - Alma - walked over to me and said, 'What are you doing here, girl?' And I knew that there wasn't any answer. There couldn't be any answer. And that's when I knew it was time to go.”” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A creative soul seeks purpose beyond initial passions, confronting challenges and self‑doubt while navigating new environments. **In simple terms:** Finding purpose beyond first love. Key Takeaway Embrace change and explore beyond comfort zones. Themes growth creativity identity journey Mood introspective hopeful Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - career change - relocating for school - creative projects - personal crisis Key Concepts self‑discovery design adaptation Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to pursue new creative fields? - How do you handle uncertainty when leaving home? A Different Perspective Fear of failure can stall exploration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change My Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-my-life/) [Furniture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/furniture/) [Industrial design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrial-design/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“She needs you, Dad," Julia says. "She has unfinished business in this world." "What is the matter with you?" Charlie asks his daughter. "Any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/she-needs-you-dad-julia-says-she-has-unfinished-business-in-this/) [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) > [“Franny stepped on a piece of glass," Alex explains. James makes a little clucking noise of sympathy. Julia says, "What are you guys doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-lazebnik/franny-stepped-on-a-piece-of-glass-alex-explains-james-makes-a-little/) [Claire LaZebnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-lazebnik/) > [Campbell" Julia says "Don't do this to me" "Do what?" "Push me off the same cliff twice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/campbell-julia-says-don-t-do-this-to-me-do-what-push-me-off-the-same/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Much like the fortified wine that gives Marsala its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leatrice-eiseman/much-like-the-fortified-wine-that-gives-marsala-its-name-this/) [Leatrice Eiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leatrice-eiseman/) > [There are professions more harmful than industrial design but only a few of them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-papanek/there-are-professions-more-harmful-than-industrial-design-but-only-a-2/) [Victor Papanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-papanek/) > [I want industrial design to be a public subject. I want people to love objects the way they love clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karim-rashid/i-want-industrial-design-to-be-a-public-subject-i-want-people-to-love/) [Karim Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karim-rashid/) > [I do very little industrial design. I'm asked a lot, but I certainly don't see myself as an industrial designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-do-very-little-industrial-design-i-m-asked-a-lot-but-i-certainly/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [There are professions more harmful than industrial design, but only a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-papanek/there-are-professions-more-harmful-than-industrial-design-but-only-a/) [Victor Papanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-papanek/) > [I majored in industrial design/painting, but haven't had time to exercise that creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-hasselbeck/i-majored-in-industrial-design-painting-but-haven-t-had-time-to/) [Elisabeth Hasselbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-hasselbeck/) > [The first 10 years of my professional life had only to do with running away from my father. He was a wonderful cabinet-maker, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-zumthor/the-first-10-years-of-my-professional-life-had-only-to-do-with/) [Peter Zumthor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-zumthor/) > [We had the hardware expertise, the industrial design expertise and the software expertise, including iTunes. One of the biggest insights we have was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-had-the-hardware-expertise-the-industrial-design-expertise-and-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Everything at Apple can be best understood through the lens of designing. Whether it's designing the look and feel of the user experience, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sculley/everything-at-apple-can-be-best-understood-through-the-lens-of/) [John Sculley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sculley/) > [“Have they all bought Kindles? I have one, and I use it most nights. I always imagine the books staring and whispering, Traitor! --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/have-they-all-bought-kindles-i-have-one-and-i-use-it-most-nights-i/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [A man-made thing that produces pleasure (and criticism) by somehow taping into the order of the universe is beautiful. Making beautiful things makes our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-viemeister/a-man-made-thing-that-produces-pleasure-and-criticism-by-somehow/) Tucker Viemeister > [Most people think that George Nelson, Charles Eames and Eliot Noyes invented industrial design. That is, of course, an exaggeration. George did it without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-n-lacy/most-people-think-that-george-nelson-charles-eames-and-eliot-noyes/) Bill N. Lacy ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Furniture quotes > [I designed every piece {of furniture} for a different reason and purpose, so I love each one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savannah-brinson/i-designed-every-piece-of-furniture-for-a-different-reason-and/) Savannah Brinson > [I tried to like it. For me, it was like being smacked around the head by a piece of IKEA furniture: it hurts, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bailey/i-tried-to-like-it-for-me-it-was-like-being-smacked-around-the-head/) [Bill Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bailey/) > [My father was a very good craftsman. He made furniture, he made silverware and he had an incredible gift in terms of how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/my-father-was-a-very-good-craftsman-he-made-furniture-he-made/) [Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/) > [I'm always moving furniture and things around in my house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-johnson/i-m-always-moving-furniture-and-things-around-in-my-house/) [Belinda Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-johnson/) > [“ Contemporary Residential decorating Ideas for home Get decorating and design tips ideas of trendy house of Residential Kitchen decor and decorating tutor blog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/contemporary-residential-decorating-ideas-for-home/contemporary-residential-decorating-ideas-for-home-get-decorating-and/) Contemporary Residential decorating Ideas for home > [I've read about all the sales today. If you're an auto dealer, you're feeling it. If you're a furniture retailer like we are, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-ve-read-about-all-the-sales-today-if-you-re-an-auto-dealer-you-re/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I became interested in building furniture, because I couldn't find pieces I really loved for myself and my clients. I picked stuff up from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-brent/i-became-interested-in-building-furniture-because-i-couldn-t-find/) [Jeremiah Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-brent/) > [“Get me a real chair”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-a-nielsen/get-me-a-real-chair/) [Jennifer A. Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-a-nielsen/) > [When I first became really interested in building furniture, I went to Toys-R-Us, and spent $200 on Transformers toys. By taking the toys apart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-brent/when-i-first-became-really-interested-in-building-furniture-i-went-to/) [Jeremiah Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-brent/) > [I'm the type of bloke who gets a flatpack cabinet from Ikea, puts it together without reading the instructions, then gets the drill out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bishop/i-m-the-type-of-bloke-who-gets-a-flatpack-cabinet-from-ikea-puts-it/) [John Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bishop/) > [There are no more white linen sofas in my house. We have a rule here: Anything below 36 inches has to be brown or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-olson/there-are-no-more-white-linen-sofas-in-my-house-we-have-a-rule-here/) [Candice Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-olson/) > [“The bedroom was larger than our entire cottage. Its walls were pale green, delicately sketched with patterns of gold, and the mouldings were golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/the-bedroom-was-larger-than-our-entire-cottage-its-walls-were-pale/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [...I know that in your heart you miss all those wonderful moments you spent with my father --watching him gnaw on the furniture, listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/i-know-that-in-your-heart-you-miss-all-those-wonderful-moments-you/) [David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/) > [ For instance, \[Adolf Hitler\] would never have spent the night at the Widenmayerstraße apartment. He visited it before we moved the furniture in, he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretl-braun/for-instance-adolf-hitler-would-never-have-spent-the-night-at-the/) [Gretl Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretl-braun/) > [Children are guilty of unpardonable rudeness when they spit in the face of a companion; neither are they excusable who spit from windows or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-de-la-salle/children-are-guilty-of-unpardonable-rudeness-when-they-spit-in-the/) [Jean-Baptiste de La Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-de-la-salle/) [Browse all 799 Furniture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/furniture/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's an old story,\" Julia says, leaning back in her chair. \"Only for me, it's new. I went to school for industrial design. All my life I've been fascinated by chairs - I know it sounds silly, but it's true. Form meets purpose in a chair. My parents thought I was crazy, but somehow I convinced them to pay my way to California. To study furniture design. I was all excited at first. It was totally unlike me to go so far away from home. But I was sick of the cold and sick of the snow. I figured a little sun might change my life. So I headed down to L.A. and roomed with a friend of an ex-girlfriend of my brother's. She was an aspiring radio actress, which meant she was home a lot. At first, I loved it. I didn't even let the summer go by. I dove right into my classes. Soon enough, I learned I couldn't just focus on chairs. I had to design spoons and toilet-bowl cleaners and thermostats. The math never bothered me, but the professors did. They could demolish you in a second without giving you a clue if how to rebuild. I spent more and more time in the studio, with other crazed students who guarded their projects like toy-jealous kids. I started to go for walks. Long walks. I couldn't go home because my roommate was always there. The sun was too much for me, so I'd stay indoors. I spent hours in supermarkets, walking aisle to aisle, picking up groceries and then putting them back. I went to bowling alleys and pharmacies. I rode buses that kept their lights on all night. I sat in Laundromats because once upon a time Laundromats made me happy. But now the hum of the machines sounded like life going past. Finally, one night I sat too long in the laundry. The woman who folded in the back - Alma - walked over to me and said, 'What are you doing here, girl?' And I knew that there wasn't any answer. There couldn't be any answer. And that's when I knew it was time to go.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Levithan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-back-in-her-chair-only-for-me-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Furniture" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-back-in-her-chair-only-for-me-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cd/david-levithan-67_industrial-design_it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-bac_751516.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cd/david-levithan-67_industrial-design_it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-bac_751516.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cd/david-levithan-67_industrial-design_it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-bac_751516.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's an old story,\" Julia says, leaning back in her chair. \"Only for me, it's new. I went to school for…” — David Levithan", "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": "David Levithan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It's an old story,\" Julia says,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-back-in-her-chair-only-for-me-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-back-in-her-chair-only-for-me-it/#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 } } ] } ```