--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you gotta scratch the itch, scratch…" description: "\"“If you gotta scratch the itch, scratch it. Or, if you want to do away with the day job, scratch, itch or no!”\" — Deb E. Howell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/deb-e-howell-87744_creating-beauty_if-you-gotta-scratch-the-itch-scratch-it_1457897.jpg" --- # If you gotta scratch the itch, scratch it. Or, if you want… ![“If you gotta scratch the itch, scratch it. Or, if you want to do away with the day job, scratch, itch or no!” quote by Deb E. Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/deb-e-howell-87744_creating-beauty_if-you-gotta-scratch-the-itch-scratch-it_1457897.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/deb-e-howell-87744_creating-beauty_if-you-gotta-scratch-the-itch-scratch-it_1457897.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de7/deb-e-howell-87744_creating-beauty_if-you-gotta-scratch-the-itch-scratch-it_1457897.jpg) > ““If you gotta scratch the itch, scratch it. Or, if you want to do away with the day job, scratch, itch or no!”” Deb E. Howell ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages taking immediate action on urges, suggesting that acting on them can free you from routine work. **In simple terms:** Act on urges to break free from routine. Key Takeaway Act now to change your path. Themes motivation productivity freedom Mood energetic determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - starting a side hustle - overcoming procrastination - creative projects Key Concepts impulse control career change Questions to Reflect On - What urge could you channel productively? - What risks do you face by acting without planning? A Different Perspective Acting impulsively can lead to negative outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creating beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating-beauty/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [With 'Scratch,' we want to let kids to be the creators. We want them to create interesting, dynamic things on the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchel-resnick/with-scratch-we-want-to-let-kids-to-be-the-creators-we-want-them-to/) [Mitchel Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchel-resnick/) > [Cats gotta scratch. Dogs gotta bite. I gotta write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/cats-gotta-scratch-dogs-gotta-bite-i-gotta-write/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [If you are with the quality, or at a funeral, or trying to go to sleep when you ain't sleepy - if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-are-with-the-quality-or-at-a-funeral-or-trying-to-go-to-sleep/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Where my heart lies is in the real-life, but at the same time part of it lies in this creative realm where I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/where-my-heart-lies-is-in-the-real-life-but-at-the-same-time-part-of/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [“There's nothing worse, than having a scratch you cannot itch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-black/there-s-nothing-worse-than-having-a-scratch-you-cannot-itch/) [Robert Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-black/) > [Neath tile or thatch That man is rich Who has a scratch For every itch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/neath-tile-or-thatch-that-man-is-rich-who-has-a-scratch-for-every-itch/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Scratch first, itch later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zen-proverb/scratch-first-itch-later/) [Zen Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zen-proverb/) > [Best startups generally come from somebody needing to scratch an itch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arrington/best-startups-generally-come-from-somebody-needing-to-scratch-an-itch/) [Michael Arrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arrington/) > [Our mind creates unhappiness to keep us moving, with no regard for our quality of life. You can scratch the itch your whole life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/our-mind-creates-unhappiness-to-keep-us-moving-with-no-regard-for-our/) Senoraroy > [“He listened some more; then he come tiptoeing down and stood right between us; we could a touched him, nearly. Well, likely it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/he-listened-some-more-then-he-come-tiptoeing-down-and-stood-right/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I live by three rules: I eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired and scratch when I itch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-roosevelt-longworth/i-live-by-three-rules-i-eat-when-i-m-hungry-sleep-when-i-m-tired-and/) [Alice Roosevelt Longworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-roosevelt-longworth/) > [Happiness is having a scratch for every itch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/happiness-is-having-a-scratch-for-every-itch/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Film is an itch I have yet to scratch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-michele/film-is-an-itch-i-have-yet-to-scratch/) [Lea Michele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-michele/) > [One learns to itch where one can scratch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-learns-to-itch-where-one-can-scratch/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People often want the big dramatic works, not the smaller quieter ones, but I don't worry about how it fits together anymore; I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-parker/people-often-want-the-big-dramatic-works-not-the-smaller-quieter-ones/) [Cornelia Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-parker/) ## More by Deb E. Howell > [“They want your sons.” “My–? But I don’t… ew!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-e-howell/they-want-your-sons-my-but-i-don-t-ew/) Deb E. Howell > [“could see. He pulled his arms from her and loosened the next button, letting her explore further. Her towel, no longer held firm about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-e-howell/could-see-he-pulled-his-arms-from-her-and-loosened-the-next-button/) Deb E. Howell Explore all 3 Deb E. Howell quotes ## More Creating beauty quotes > [Beauty is not a need but an ecstasy. It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth, But rather a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/beauty-is-not-a-need-but-an-ecstasy-it-is-not-a-mouth-thirsting-nor/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Poetry is a series of explanations of life, fading off into horizons too swift for explanations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-a-series-of-explanations-of-life-fading-off-into-horizons/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Beauty is more important in computing than anywhere else in technology because software is so complicated. Beauty is the ultimate defense against complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gelernter/beauty-is-more-important-in-computing-than-anywhere-else-in/) [David Gelernter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gelernter/) > [Beauty is more important in computing than anywhere else in technology because software is so complicated. Beauty is the ultimate defense against complexity. ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gelernter/beauty-is-more-important-in-computing-than-anywhere-else-in-2/) [David Gelernter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gelernter/) > [Everything on earth is beautiful, everything -- except what we ourselves think and do when we forget the higher purposes of life and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/everything-on-earth-is-beautiful-everything-except-what-we-ourselves/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [ \[The artist\] speaks to our capacity for delight and wonder, to the sense of mystery surrounding our lives; to our sense of pity, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-artist-speaks-to-our-capacity-for-delight-and-wonder-to-the-sense/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [You're creating ' it comes from the heart, the spirit, the soul. You're not manufacturing somebody else's plan, somebody else's blueprint, somebody else's idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-coltrane/you-re-creating-it-comes-from-the-heart-the-spirit-the-soul-you-re/) [Alice Coltrane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-coltrane/) > [“We create art for many reasons - wealth, fame, love, admiration - but I find the one thing that produces the best results is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-zappia/we-create-art-for-many-reasons-wealth-fame-love-admiration-but-i-find/) [Francesca Zappia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-zappia/) > [“The moment we accept our pain is the moment we release our suffering. Suffering is created when we offer life resistance, and what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaric-hutchinson/the-moment-we-accept-our-pain-is-the-moment-we-release-our-suffering/) [Alaric Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaric-hutchinson/) > [All of my days, With my favorite, Number two pencil, I have created, Drawings, Odes, Silly tales, Wonderful, And endless experiences. When my pencil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/all-of-my-days-with-my-favorite-number-two-pencil-i-have-created/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [Finding beauty in a broken world is creating beauty in the world we find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/finding-beauty-in-a-broken-world-is-creating-beauty-in-the-world-we/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [“Willing emancipates: for willing is creating: so do I teach. And only for creating shall you learn!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrich-nietzsche/willing-emancipates-for-willing-is-creating-so-do-i-teach-and-only/) [Fredrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrich-nietzsche/) > [“How you choose to respond to each moment of the movie of life determines how you see the next frame, and the next, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-you-choose-to-respond-to-each-moment-of-the-movie-of-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just because something isn't practical doesn't mean it's not worth creating. Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/just-because-something-isn-t-practical-doesn-t-mean-it-s-not-worth/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) > [“Luxury as beauty" has nothing to do with a particular place or an object's price tag. It is seeing with eyes for beauty. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/luxury-as-beauty-has-nothing-to-do-with-a-particular-place-or-an/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) [Browse all 40 Creating beauty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating-beauty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you gotta scratch the itch, scratch it. Or, if you want to do away with the day job, scratch, itch or no!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Deb E. 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