--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any working cartoonist will tell you…" description: "\"Any working cartoonist will tell you this, anybody who's working in a creative field: at some point, it's a job. You have deadlines. I think, for over ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/david-rees-13338_cartoonist_any-working-cartoonist-will-tell-you-thi_1179348.png" --- # Any working cartoonist will tell you this, anybody who's… ![“Any working cartoonist will tell you this, anybody who's working in a creative field: at some point, it's a job. You have deadlines. I think, for over a year, I refused to make them for publications, because I only wanted to make them when I wanted to make them. But at some point, I was like…” quote by David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/david-rees-13338_cartoonist_any-working-cartoonist-will-tell-you-thi_1179348.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/david-rees-13338_cartoonist_any-working-cartoonist-will-tell-you-thi_1179348.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ff/david-rees-13338_cartoonist_any-working-cartoonist-will-tell-you-thi_1179348.png) > “Any working cartoonist will tell you this, anybody who's working in a creative field: at some point, it's a job. You have deadlines. I think, for over a year, I refused to make them for publications, because I only wanted to make them when I wanted to make them. But at some point, I was like, "This is crazy, you have an opportunity to be a professional cartoonist.” [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work inevitably becomes a job with deadlines, forcing artists to balance passion with professional obligations. **In simple terms:** Art becomes work with deadlines. Key Takeaway Accept deadlines, keep creating. Themes creativity professionalism deadlines balance artistic integrity Mood reflective determined pragmatic Type advice personal experience career guidance When to use this quote - comic publishing - freelance illustration - studio contracts - personal projects Key Concepts time management creative discipline career development Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay inspired under pressure? - Can you set personal deadlines? A Different Perspective Deadlines can stifle spontaneity and joy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Nobody could be a professional cartoonist, because you have to do something you don't like to do in order to be a responsible adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/nobody-could-be-a-professional-cartoonist-because-you-have-to-do/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I don't think I would've ever dared dreaming of becoming a professional cartoonist. I wouldn't set myself up for that disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-don-t-think-i-would-ve-ever-dared-dreaming-of-becoming-a/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [You can draw Family Guy when you're 10 years old. You don't have to get any better than that to become a professional cartoonist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kricfalusi/you-can-draw-family-guy-when-you-re-10-years-old-you-don-t-have-to/) [John Kricfalusi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kricfalusi/) > [Why are you so petrified of silence, here can you handle this? Did you think about your bills, your ex, your deadlines or when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-morissette/why-are-you-so-petrified-of-silence-here-can-you-handle-this-did-you/) [Alanis Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-morissette/) > [I have no sense of direction; I never know where I am. When I back up a car, I'm more likely to hit what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-have-no-sense-of-direction-i-never-know-where-i-am-when-i-back-up-a/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [In 1908, you could easily earn $20 to $200 as a cartoonist. What's amazing is that it's still true!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/in-1908-you-could-easily-earn-20-to-200-as-a-cartoonist-what-s/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [In many ways, my entire graphic novel career was a long diversion. Originally, all I wanted to do was to be an underground cartoonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/in-many-ways-my-entire-graphic-novel-career-was-a-long-diversion/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [I never saw myself so much as an actor. I wanted to be a cartoonist like Charles M. Schulz and create my own world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hamill/i-never-saw-myself-so-much-as-an-actor-i-wanted-to-be-a-cartoonist/) [Mark Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hamill/) > [As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/as-a-kid-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-either-a-cartoonist-or-an-astronaut/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [Perspective was always important. There are some cartoonists who can stand at the foot of a building looking straight up and they'll capture it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-larson/perspective-was-always-important-there-are-some-cartoonists-who-can/) [Gary Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-larson/) > [I'm just a little old cartoonist, tryin' to make a buck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lantz/i-m-just-a-little-old-cartoonist-tryin-to-make-a-buck/) Walter Lantz > [Sweetheart, I'm the biggest ripped-off cartoonist in the history of the world, and that's all I'm going to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-bakshi/sweetheart-i-m-the-biggest-ripped-off-cartoonist-in-the-history-of/) [Ralph Bakshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-bakshi/) > [In my journey as a cartoonist, I seem to have accidentally stumbled into all sorts of traps, damnations and blacklists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/in-my-journey-as-a-cartoonist-i-seem-to-have-accidentally-stumbled/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) > [I've certainly seen a lot of my cartoonist friends embrace 'Little Lulu' in a much deeper way because their kids love it so much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/i-ve-certainly-seen-a-lot-of-my-cartoonist-friends-embrace-little/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. The work I was pouring out did not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-eisner/before-world-war-ii-i-was-living-a-very-cloistered-existence-as-most/) [Will Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-eisner/) ## More by David Rees > [I have a really analytical approach to art. And the whole idea that you can't analyze what makes a joke funny...I do not agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-have-a-really-analytical-approach-to-art-and-the-whole-idea-that/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [The thing that was interesting to me about Relationshapes - as opposed to most of the other cartoons I've ever made - was I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/the-thing-that-was-interesting-to-me-about-relationshapes-as-opposed/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I don't even drink Coke. It tastes like robot sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-don-t-even-drink-coke-it-tastes-like-robot-sweat/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I didn't dare to dream of making money. But now of course, I've made many thousands of dollars sharpening pencils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-didn-t-dare-to-dream-of-making-money-but-now-of-course-i-ve-made/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I just wanted a really simple, dramatic way so that fans, people who were reading my comic, would be like, "This is something different."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-just-wanted-a-really-simple-dramatic-way-so-that-fans-people-who/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [Everyone has pencils in their house, no matter how hip and contemporary they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/everyone-has-pencils-in-their-house-no-matter-how-hip-and/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I was just worried that someone was gonna think that I had been commissioned by Jamba Juice to make cartoons about Jamba Juice. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-was-just-worried-that-someone-was-gonna-think-that-i-had-been/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I never thought I would make a living as a pencil-sharpener. The first goal was: I don't want to lose money. And then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-never-thought-i-would-make-a-living-as-a-pencil-sharpener-the-first/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I don't like when performers rag on their ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend in absentia. If they're not there, it just feels rude... I'm never going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-don-t-like-when-performers-rag-on-their-ex-girlfriend-or-ex/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [People think, "Wow, people in America have so much money, they're sending hundreds of pencils to this guy." I don't think those people realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/people-think-wow-people-in-america-have-so-much-money-they-re-sending/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I would make a comic for Rolling Stone every two weeks, because they're biweekly. And then I would make weekly comics for my weekly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-would-make-a-comic-for-rolling-stone-every-two-weeks-because-they/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [The way you make money is to do something you don't like to do. And that's how you know you're a virtuous person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/the-way-you-make-money-is-to-do-something-you-don-t-like-to-do-and/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I started sharpening pencils at the census and how that was a difficult time in my life because my marriage was ending and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-started-sharpening-pencils-at-the-census-and-how-that-was-a/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [I'm interested in the structure of art and how it works. And the content is also interesting, but I don't want to keep the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-m-interested-in-the-structure-of-art-and-how-it-works-and-the/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [“And you know what happened next in my dream? Dick Cheney and I said the same thing at the same time: "Well, we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/and-you-know-what-happened-next-in-my-dream-dick-cheney-and-i-said/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) [Explore all 50 David Rees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) ## More Cartoonist quotes > [Before World War II, I was living a very cloistered existence, as most cartoonists do. The work I was pouring out did not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-eisner/before-world-war-ii-i-was-living-a-very-cloistered-existence-as-most/) [Will Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-eisner/) > [I've certainly seen a lot of my cartoonist friends embrace 'Little Lulu' in a much deeper way because their kids love it so much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/i-ve-certainly-seen-a-lot-of-my-cartoonist-friends-embrace-little/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [In my journey as a cartoonist, I seem to have accidentally stumbled into all sorts of traps, damnations and blacklists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/in-my-journey-as-a-cartoonist-i-seem-to-have-accidentally-stumbled/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) > [Sweetheart, I'm the biggest ripped-off cartoonist in the history of the world, and that's all I'm going to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-bakshi/sweetheart-i-m-the-biggest-ripped-off-cartoonist-in-the-history-of/) [Ralph Bakshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-bakshi/) > [I'm just a little old cartoonist, tryin' to make a buck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lantz/i-m-just-a-little-old-cartoonist-tryin-to-make-a-buck/) Walter Lantz > [Perspective was always important. There are some cartoonists who can stand at the foot of a building looking straight up and they'll capture it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-larson/perspective-was-always-important-there-are-some-cartoonists-who-can/) [Gary Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-larson/) > [As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/as-a-kid-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-either-a-cartoonist-or-an-astronaut/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [I never saw myself so much as an actor. I wanted to be a cartoonist like Charles M. Schulz and create my own world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hamill/i-never-saw-myself-so-much-as-an-actor-i-wanted-to-be-a-cartoonist/) [Mark Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hamill/) > [In many ways, my entire graphic novel career was a long diversion. Originally, all I wanted to do was to be an underground cartoonist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/in-many-ways-my-entire-graphic-novel-career-was-a-long-diversion/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [In 1908, you could easily earn $20 to $200 as a cartoonist. What's amazing is that it's still true!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/in-1908-you-could-easily-earn-20-to-200-as-a-cartoonist-what-s/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [I have no sense of direction; I never know where I am. When I back up a car, I'm more likely to hit what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-have-no-sense-of-direction-i-never-know-where-i-am-when-i-back-up-a/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [So many cartoonists draw the same year after year. When they find a style, they stick with it. They don't mess with innovation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-oliphant/so-many-cartoonists-draw-the-same-year-after-year-when-they-find-a/) [Pat Oliphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-oliphant/) > [I'm a better editorial cartoonist by default because so many editorial cartoonists out there are so awful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-m-a-better-editorial-cartoonist-by-default-because-so-many/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [I was doing political cartoons and getting angry to the point where I felt I was going to have to start making and throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-was-doing-political-cartoons-and-getting-angry-to-the-point-where-i/) [Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/) > [In college, I was a cartoonist at 'The Daily Northwestern.' So I draw myself. I was an animator. But basically, I went to Northwestern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-musker/in-college-i-was-a-cartoonist-at-the-daily-northwestern-so-i-draw/) [John Musker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-musker/) Browse all 215 Cartoonist quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any working cartoonist will tell you this, anybody who's working in a creative field: at some point, it's a job. You have deadlines. I think, for over a year, I refused to make them for publications, because I only wanted to make them when I wanted to make them. 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