--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I left the theatre and turned to…" description: "\"When I left the theatre and turned to writing, one of the big pulls was that, unlike the theatre, I didn't have to wait to be hired before I could do m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/debra-dean-17204_art_when-i-left-the-theatre-and-turned-to-wr_1630447.jpg" --- # When I left the theatre and turned to writing, one of the… ![“When I left the theatre and turned to writing, one of the big pulls was that, unlike the theatre, I didn't have to wait to be hired before I could do my art. That was huge. But you still have to figure out how to support your habit; it's rare and lucky when art pays the bills.” quote by Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/debra-dean-17204_art_when-i-left-the-theatre-and-turned-to-wr_1630447.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/debra-dean-17204_art_when-i-left-the-theatre-and-turned-to-wr_1630447.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/debra-dean-17204_art_when-i-left-the-theatre-and-turned-to-wr_1630447.jpg) > “When I left the theatre and turned to writing, one of the big pulls was that, unlike the theatre, I didn't have to wait to be hired before I could do my art. That was huge. But you still have to figure out how to support your habit; it's rare and lucky when art pays the bills.” [Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving theatre for writing freed her from waiting for external validation; yet sustaining art financially remains rare. **In simple terms:** Write without waiting for hires. Key Takeaway Find sustainable support. Themes creativity career independence Mood hopeful realistic Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - freelance writing - self‑publishing - grant applications Key Concepts self‑reliance artistic freedom financial stability Questions to Reflect On - How will you fund your art? - What support systems can you build? A Different Perspective Financial pressure can compromise artistic integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Pays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-pays-477329/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Hired Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hired-art-477328/) [Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Turned Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-writing-477330/) [Unlike Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unlike-theatre-477331/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-big-477327/) ## Related quotes > [I've learned, having been on a lot of sets, the good news is that by definition you are surrounded by experts. 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I'm still amazed at the radical temerity of my friends, you included,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-dean/peculiar-as-i-was-and-remain-i-was-trained-to-be-practical-i-m-still/) [Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) > [Unless you're Stephen King or Joyce Carol Oates, no one's going to recognize you on the street, and you're promoting your book, not yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-dean/unless-you-re-stephen-king-or-joyce-carol-oates-no-one-s-going-to/) [Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) > [I tell my students, if you're interested in marine biology or llama farming, follow that string. 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Moments that occurred in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-dean/is-eating-her-brain-consumes-only-the-fresher-memories-the-unripe/) [Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) [Explore all 37 Debra Dean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. 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