--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For me, Sundance always felt big. It's…" description: "\"For me, Sundance always felt big. It's not the only way to make your way, but for me, it was definitely that critical link between struggling artist, k..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76b/dee-rees-4528_always_for-me-sundance-always-felt-big-it-s-not_2315642.png" --- # For me, Sundance always felt big. It's not the only way to… ![“For me, Sundance always felt big. It's not the only way to make your way, but for me, it was definitely that critical link between struggling artist, kind of working on my own, to actually working professionally and being connected and being seen.” quote by Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76b/dee-rees-4528_always_for-me-sundance-always-felt-big-it-s-not_2315642.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76b/dee-rees-4528_always_for-me-sundance-always-felt-big-it-s-not_2315642.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76b/dee-rees-4528_always_for-me-sundance-always-felt-big-it-s-not_2315642.png) > “For me, Sundance always felt big. It's not the only way to make your way, but for me, it was definitely that critical link between struggling artist, kind of working on my own, to actually working professionally and being connected and being seen.” [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The festival served as a pivotal bridge from independent creation to professional recognition and visibility. **In simple terms:** Sundance helped turn solo work into a professional career. Key Takeaway Leverage key platforms to gain exposure. Themes career development artistic growth networking Mood optimistic determined Type testimonial inspirational When to use this quote - independent filmmaking - career launch - network building Key Concepts industry exposure visibility professional transition Questions to Reflect On - What platforms can you use to showcase your work? - How do you maintain artistic integrity while seeking professional exposure? A Different Perspective Success depends on more than one festival; other avenues exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Festival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/festival/) ## Related quotes > [Sundance felt like a natural fit. I love coming here, and I do think that this festival suits my films rather than most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/sundance-felt-like-a-natural-fit-i-love-coming-here-and-i-do-think/) [Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/) > [I'm about to go to Sundance for my 3rd year, and Sundance has never felt like a real independent festival at all. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-odenkirk/i-m-about-to-go-to-sundance-for-my-3rd-year-and-sundance-has-never/) [Bob Odenkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-odenkirk/) > [I know some people are like "I'm depressed and I'm a struggling artist" and that really works for some people, but that doesn't work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charli-xcx/i-know-some-people-are-like-i-m-depressed-and-i-m-a-struggling-artist/) [Charli XCX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charli-xcx/) > [I love being a struggling artist; it makes me feel very alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-evison/i-love-being-a-struggling-artist-it-makes-me-feel-very-alive/) [Jonathan Evison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-evison/) > [Talk about a struggling artist having to work against enormous odds ... But I love movies so much, so I'm going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-pink/talk-about-a-struggling-artist-having-to-work-against-enormous-odds/) [Ariel Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-pink/) > [There's almost nothing worse to live with than a struggling artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/there-s-almost-nothing-worse-to-live-with-than-a-struggling-artist/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [You're always taught that the world is so competitive. You're taught that it's not very likely for you to become successful and that odds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kali-uchis/you-re-always-taught-that-the-world-is-so-competitive-you-re-taught/) [Kali Uchis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kali-uchis/) > [I can live in L.A. as a struggling artist. I cannot live in New York as a struggling artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-rodriguez/i-can-live-in-l-a-as-a-struggling-artist-i-cannot-live-in-new-york-as/) [Gina Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-rodriguez/) > [“The way he felt about her was too big. Too intense. And he didn’t want it to end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-halston/the-way-he-felt-about-her-was-too-big-too-intense-and-he-didn-t-want/) [Sidney Halston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-halston/) > [“And my life . . . my life felt big, filled with love and with meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-sheridan/and-my-life-my-life-felt-big-filled-with-love-and-with-meaning/) [Mia Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-sheridan/) > [No 11-year-old girl wants to be 5-10. I always felt big and unattractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-l-dew/no-11-year-old-girl-wants-to-be-5-10-i-always-felt-big-and/) [Sheri L. Dew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-l-dew/) > [“Cain finally moved me, but it wasn’t to help me out of the shower. No, it was to move me forward, and to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-kennedy/cain-finally-moved-me-but-it-wasn-t-to-help-me-out-of-the-shower-no/) [Sloane Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-kennedy/) > [I never felt big enough playing Thor. And then people talk about you like you're 9-foot tall and 800 pounds. I'm well aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hemsworth/i-never-felt-big-enough-playing-thor-and-then-people-talk-about-you/) [Chris Hemsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hemsworth/) > [“I wanted to tell her I loved her but it wouldn't come out. It felt too big. Even the word. It felt too big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kelman/i-wanted-to-tell-her-i-loved-her-but-it-wouldn-t-come-out-it-felt-too/) [Stephen Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kelman/) > [I felt on the big fat fanny. Pulled out the jammy, and killed the punanny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/i-felt-on-the-big-fat-fanny-pulled-out-the-jammy-and-killed-the/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) ## More by Dee Rees > [I want people to get from 'Pariah' that it's okay to be you and not to check a box as a parent or child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/i-want-people-to-get-from-pariah-that-it-s-okay-to-be-you-and-not-to/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [I thought I'd get an MBA, and then I could be anything. And I'd write on the side. That was the idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/i-thought-i-d-get-an-mba-and-then-i-could-be-anything-and-i-d-write/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [I thought that marketing was a way to be creative in business but quickly learned all creative stuff happens at the ad agency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/i-thought-that-marketing-was-a-way-to-be-creative-in-business-but/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [When I first started going out to lesbian clubs, I felt a very binary recreation of hetero culture. There are butches and femmes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/when-i-first-started-going-out-to-lesbian-clubs-i-felt-a-very-binary/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [I was always going to direct. I wasn't going to hand my characters over to anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/i-was-always-going-to-direct-i-wasn-t-going-to-hand-my-characters/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [My ultimate dream was just to be an auteur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/my-ultimate-dream-was-just-to-be-an-auteur/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [For me, books were my source of affirmation. Alice Walker, Audrey Lord - it was these authors who wrote about their experiences. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/for-me-books-were-my-source-of-affirmation-alice-walker-audrey-lord/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [When I first came out, holidays were hard. I reached a point where I didn't go home anymore. I constructed my own, kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/when-i-first-came-out-holidays-were-hard-i-reached-a-point-where-i/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [You can't be limited by your own experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/you-can-t-be-limited-by-your-own-experience/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [We shouldn't be discriminating against each other. The whole 'light skin versus dark skin' is an idea we need to break down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/we-shouldn-t-be-discriminating-against-each-other-the-whole-light/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [Going into a room and saying, 'I'm a black lesbian' - it's a strike against you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/going-into-a-room-and-saying-i-m-a-black-lesbian-it-s-a-strike/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [Each moment is defined by a multitude of histories, the past constantly converging upon us, perpetually decaying and reforming itself on the steady pulse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/each-moment-is-defined-by-a-multitude-of-histories-the-past/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [I'd go to lesbian parties. I felt like I wasn't hard enough to be butch, but I wasn't wearing heels and a skirt -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/i-d-go-to-lesbian-parties-i-felt-like-i-wasn-t-hard-enough-to-be/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [Before Charlottesville, it might have been easy to dismiss the plot of 'Mudbound' as no longer relevant. Now, I feel like audiences will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/before-charlottesville-it-might-have-been-easy-to-dismiss-the-plot-of/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [For me, like, obviously, I want to see myself onscreen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/for-me-like-obviously-i-want-to-see-myself-onscreen/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) [Explore all 109 Dee Rees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For me, Sundance always felt big. 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