--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If an idea seems to find its way towards…" description: "\"If an idea seems to find its way towards a stage setting, that's the direction I take. I don't know if I'm trying to achieve anything other than to fol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/don-delillo-294_achieve_if-an-idea-seems-to-find-its-way-towards_1729879.jpg" --- # If an idea seems to find its way towards a stage setting… ![“If an idea seems to find its way towards a stage setting, that's the direction I take. I don't know if I'm trying to achieve anything other than to follow an idea on to the page.” quote by Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/don-delillo-294_achieve_if-an-idea-seems-to-find-its-way-towards_1729879.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/don-delillo-294_achieve_if-an-idea-seems-to-find-its-way-towards_1729879.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/don-delillo-294_achieve_if-an-idea-seems-to-find-its-way-towards_1729879.jpg) > “If an idea seems to find its way towards a stage setting, that's the direction I take. I don't know if I'm trying to achieve anything other than to follow an idea on to the page.” [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Follow the idea wherever it leads, even without a clear goal. **In simple terms:** Let ideas guide you. Key Takeaway Trust creative impulses, stay open. Themes creativity exploration process Mood curious open‑minded Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - writing - design - research projects Key Concepts artistic flow intuition Questions to Reflect On - How do you know when to pivot? - What criteria define success? A Different Perspective Lack of direction can cause wasted effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Achieve Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve-follow-1419433/) [Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/) [Follow Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-idea-1032425/) [Idea Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-way-1155318/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Setting Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting-direction-1419432/) [Settings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settings/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [But logic is not all, one needs one's heart to follow an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/but-logic-is-not-all-one-needs-one-s-heart-to-follow-an-idea/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I always follow the same idea: Start small and disrupt to create something big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xavier-niel/i-always-follow-the-same-idea-start-small-and-disrupt-to-create/) [Xavier Niel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xavier-niel/) > [Your world will follow your idea about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/your-world-will-follow-your-idea-about-yourself/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [A manager can have a great idea but if the players don't understand it, or don't follow you, your idea doesn't have much use.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/a-manager-can-have-a-great-idea-but-if-the-players-don-t-understand/) [Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/) > [Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-up-one-idea-make-that-one-idea-your-life-think-of-it-dream-of-it-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I can find the right idea, I can get out of the way and do a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grann/if-i-can-find-the-right-idea-i-can-get-out-of-the-way-and-do-a-good/) [David Grann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grann/) > [Because it's kind of great, being an idea that everybody likes. But I could never be the idea to myself, not all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/because-it-s-kind-of-great-being-an-idea-that-everybody-likes-but-i-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [It never seems like a good idea to do something that's way out there. But usually, the thing that's way out there is where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dubuc/it-never-seems-like-a-good-idea-to-do-something-that-s-way-out-there/) [Nancy Dubuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dubuc/) > [“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life; dream of it; think of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/take-up-one-idea-make-that-one-idea-your-life-dream-of-it-think-of-it/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“reviewing History's great idea, the one way you can make things change”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reviewing-history-s-great-idea-the-one-way-you-can-make-things-change/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't bear the idea that I might be in any way deluded about myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baddiel/i-can-t-bear-the-idea-that-i-might-be-in-any-way-deluded-about-myself/) [David Baddiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baddiel/) > [You have an idea of the way you think it is, and it's not that way at all, it's something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-geffen/you-have-an-idea-of-the-way-you-think-it-is-and-it-s-not-that-way-at/) [David Geffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-geffen/) > [Take up one idea! Make that idea your life ,Think of it .Dream of it,live on that idea.Let the brain,muscles,nerves every part of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/take-up-one-idea-make-that-idea-your-life-think-of-it-dream-of-it/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Woody Allen is a genius. His films are wonderful. He's poetic, but he's also a critic. He artfully steps back from a social setting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/woody-allen-is-a-genius-his-films-are-wonderful-he-s-poetic-but-he-s/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [She feels like kicking out all the windows And setting fire to this life She could change everything about her using colors bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/she-feels-like-kicking-out-all-the-windows-and-setting-fire-to-this/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) ## More by Don DeLillo > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [Everything is barely weeks. Everything is days. We have minutes to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/everything-is-barely-weeks-everything-is-days-we-have-minutes-to-live/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [The novel is the dream release, the suspension of reality that history needs to escape its own brutal confinements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-novel-is-the-dream-release-the-suspension-of-reality-that-history/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“As I listened I thought a featureless baggy man was striking me in slow motion with a well-polished stone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/as-i-listened-i-thought-a-featureless-baggy-man-was-striking-me-in/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“Murray said, 'I don't trust anybody's nostalgia but my own. Nostalgia is a product of dissatisfaction and rage. It´s a settling of grievances between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/murray-said-i-don-t-trust-anybody-s-nostalgia-but-my-own-nostalgia-is/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“She is beginning to think it is possible that all creation is a spurt of blank matter that chances to make an emerald planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/she-is-beginning-to-think-it-is-possible-that-all-creation-is-a-spurt/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“Those who have abandoned belief must still believe in us. They are sure that they are right not to believe but they know belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/those-who-have-abandoned-belief-must-still-believe-in-us-they-are/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“The plane had lost power in all three engines, dropped from thirty-four thousand feet to twelve thousand feet. Something like four miles. When the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-plane-had-lost-power-in-all-three-engines-dropped-from-thirty/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“Grass: I live in a great steel tower that reflects the blazing sun. People catch fire just walking by. The more bodies that pile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/grass-i-live-in-a-great-steel-tower-that-reflects-the-blazing-sun/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“What people discard could make a nation”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/what-people-discard-could-make-a-nation/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“Marriage is something we make from available materials. In this sense it’s improvised, it’s almost offhand. Maybe this is why we know so little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/marriage-is-something-we-make-from-available-materials-in-this-sense/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [The true life is not reducible to words spoken or written, not by anyone, ever. The true life takes place when we're alone, thinking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-true-life-is-not-reducible-to-words-spoken-or-written-not-by/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [I've come to think of Europe as a hardcover book, America as the paperback version.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-ve-come-to-think-of-europe-as-a-hardcover-book-america-as-the/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [There is a set of balances and rhythms to a novel that we can't experience in real life. 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