--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We pencil sketch our past lives so we can…" description: "\"“We pencil sketch our past lives so we can compare it to the Technicolor of the moment.”\" — David Levithan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/david-levithan-67_time_we-pencil-sketch-our-past-lives-so-we-ca_2104333.jpg" --- # We pencil sketch our past lives so we can compare it to… ![“We pencil sketch our past lives so we can compare it to the Technicolor of the moment.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/david-levithan-67_time_we-pencil-sketch-our-past-lives-so-we-ca_2104333.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/david-levithan-67_time_we-pencil-sketch-our-past-lives-so-we-ca_2104333.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/david-levithan-67_time_we-pencil-sketch-our-past-lives-so-we-ca_2104333.jpg) > ““We pencil sketch our past lives so we can compare it to the Technicolor of the moment.”” [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. We reinterpret past experiences to contrast them with vivid present moments, emphasizing personal growth. **In simple terms:** Past is re‑imagined against bright present. Key Takeaway Use past reflections to enrich current perspective. Themes memory identity growth creativity Mood nostalgic inspired Type literary motivational When to use this quote - journaling - therapy sessions - creative writing - mindfulness practice Key Concepts narrative theory psychology self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - How does comparing past and present shape self‑image? - What benefits arise from re‑framing memories? A Different Perspective Focusing too much on contrast can cause regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Past Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-lives/) [Pencil Sketch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencil-sketch-3234706/) [Sketch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sketch/) [Sketch Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sketch-past-4218373/) [Technicolor Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technicolor-moment-4218374/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We pencil-sketch our previous life so we can contrast it to the technicolor of the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-pencil-sketch-our-previous-life-so-we-can-contrast-it-to-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“How do I describe him now? Where do I start? How do I distill the first impression created in those few distance seconds? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorit-rabinyan/how-do-i-describe-him-now-where-do-i-start-how-do-i-distill-the-first/) [Dorit Rabinyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorit-rabinyan/) > [Love is just a plain pencil sketch until someone comes to complete it with color...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armee-taylo/love-is-just-a-plain-pencil-sketch-until-someone-comes-to-complete-it/) [Armee Taylo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armee-taylo/) > [Ultimately, to me, the computer is just a big pencil. What can we sketch using this pencil that makes a positive difference to society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/ultimately-to-me-the-computer-is-just-a-big-pencil-what-can-we-sketch/) [Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/) > [“What is it about the moment you fall in love? haw can such a small measure of time contain such enormity? I suddenly realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/what-is-it-about-the-moment-you-fall-in-love-haw-can-such-a-small/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“What is it about the moment you fall in love? How can such small measure of time contain such enormity? I suddenly realize why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/what-is-it-about-the-moment-you-fall-in-love-how-can-such-small/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I'm looking into my past lives. I'm convinced some of them still owe me money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-parke/i-m-looking-into-my-past-lives-i-m-convinced-some-of-them-still-owe/) [Graham Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-parke/) > [“…Some timeless time later, dreamlike images began to emerge, the solar system, the Earth…the last to emerge was the sense of my everyday identity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-metzner/some-timeless-time-later-dreamlike-images-began-to-emerge-the-solar/) [Ralph Metzner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-metzner/) > [“One thing seems certain. Our galaxy is now in the brief springtime of its life—a springtime made glorious by such brilliant blue-white stars as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/one-thing-seems-certain-our-galaxy-is-now-in-the-brief-springtime-of/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [The little babies are missing their families from their past lives. The babies have old souls and the old souls have to shrink to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akhil-sharma/the-little-babies-are-missing-their-families-from-their-past-lives/) [Akhil Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akhil-sharma/) > [“I didn’t do it to you, I did it to her. Maybe your past self thinks it’s funny.” “She doesn’t.” “That’s not my fault.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/i-didn-t-do-it-to-you-i-did-it-to-her-maybe-your-past-self-thinks-it/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“Why bother Her?’ What will change the echoes from my heart encapsulated into words for ears? Maybe the hope or belief that will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raz-mihal/why-bother-her-what-will-change-the-echoes-from-my-heart-encapsulated/) [Raz Mihal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raz-mihal/) > [In 'Past Lives,' the villains of the story are time and space - 23years and the Pacific Ocean - so those things needed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/in-past-lives-the-villains-of-the-story-are-time-and-space-23years/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [“I've had my past lives read, my aura tuned, my chakras aligned, my spirit guides channeled, my palms interpreted, and my kundalini awakened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sera-j-beak/i-ve-had-my-past-lives-read-my-aura-tuned-my-chakras-aligned-my/) [Sera J. Beak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sera-j-beak/) > [Right before the pandemic, 'Past Lives' came across to me as something to read and possibly put myself on tape for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/right-before-the-pandemic-past-lives-came-across-to-me-as-something/) [Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/) ## 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. 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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 Sketch quotes > [Like I said, a sketch is one joke. They shouldn't really be more than a minute, two minutes. There are some shows where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/like-i-said-a-sketch-is-one-joke-they-shouldn-t-really-be-more-than-a/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [Maybe it's just my improv and sketch background, but I'm a lot more comfortable in a group. 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I could read or even sketch notes for what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mallon/cell-phones-alas-have-pretty-much-ruined-train-travel-which-i-used-to/) [Thomas Mallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mallon/) > [The sketch hunter moves through life as he finds it, not passing negligently the things he loves, but stopping to know them, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/the-sketch-hunter-moves-through-life-as-he-finds-it-not-passing/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) > [THING TO TRY: If you are asked to describe a suspect to a police sketch artist, describe in precise detail, the features of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/thing-to-try-if-you-are-asked-to-describe-a-suspect-to-a-police/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [A sketch of a man facing to the right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/a-sketch-of-a-man-facing-to-the-right/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [I think that one of Tim's great qualities and abilities is in what seems like a thumbnail sketch to get something quite telling, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-finney/i-think-that-one-of-tim-s-great-qualities-and-abilities-is-in-what/) [Albert Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-finney/) > [We wanted it to have a simplicity to it, so that if you're a 12-year-old and you're watching the show and you get inspired,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-duffer/we-wanted-it-to-have-a-simplicity-to-it-so-that-if-you-re-a-12-year/) [Ross Duffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-duffer/) > [Because I never plan anything out ahead of time, I'm always in the process of learning about my characters. 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