--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am a clown...and I collect moments." description: "\"I am a clown...and I collect moments.\" — Heinrich Böll" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/heinrich-b-ll-13574_clown_i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments-72232_722325.png" --- # I am a clown...and I collect moments. ![“I am a clown...and I collect moments.” quote by Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/heinrich-b-ll-13574_clown_i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments-72232_722325.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/heinrich-b-ll-13574_clown_i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments-72232_722325.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/heinrich-b-ll-13574_clown_i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments-72232_722325.png) > “I am a clown...and I collect moments.” [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker identifies as a clown, collecting fleeting experiences, highlighting a playful yet introspective view of life. **In simple terms:** Clowns collect moments. Key Takeaway Embrace spontaneity. Themes creativity identity memory playfulness philosophy Mood lighthearted reflective inspirational Type aphor personal insight When to use this quote - travel journaling - photography - improv performance - personal storytelling Key Concepts existentialism artistic expression mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What moments do you cherish most? - How can playfulness enrich daily life? A Different Perspective Some may see clowning as frivolous, limiting deeper impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clown/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [In my life, I need someone who will collect Moments and memories, not someone who will collect things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/in-my-life-i-need-someone-who-will-collect-moments-and-memories-not/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Collect moments rather than things. Moments get away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-knisely/collect-moments-rather-than-things-moments-get-away/) [Matthew Knisely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-knisely/) > [Collect moments, not things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/collect-moments-not-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I collect hair. I keep most of it on my floor, but my most valuable patches I display on the bodies of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-collect-hair-i-keep-most-of-it-on-my-floor-but-my-most-valuable/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Your self-defense becomes a self-defeat when you are doing it for selfish reasons! It's not about you and your pocket alone; let it be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/your-self-defense-becomes-a-self-defeat-when-you-are-doing-it-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I collect pictures of adorable puppies on my phone. I have little room for anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-michael-smith/i-collect-pictures-of-adorable-puppies-on-my-phone-i-have-little-room/) [Cory Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-michael-smith/) > [I collect songs because I want to control what I - what everybody within earshot - listens to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/i-collect-songs-because-i-want-to-control-what-i-what-everybody/) [Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/) > [Electronic medical records are, in a lot of ways, I think the aspect of technology that is going to revolutionize the way we deliver…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/risa-lavizzo-mourey/electronic-medical-records-are-in-a-lot-of-ways-i-think-the-aspect-of/) [Risa Lavizzo-Mourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/risa-lavizzo-mourey/) > [God Calls Collect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-aaron/god-calls-collect/) [C Aaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-aaron/) > [Huguette Clark has had her own tax liens - four times, the IRS has filed to collect taxes from her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/huguette-clark-has-had-her-own-tax-liens-four-times-the-irs-has-filed/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [Performance is there, and if you are not there in that moment it happened, it just stays in the memory. It's so immaterial and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/performance-is-there-and-if-you-are-not-there-in-that-moment-it/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [I collect as many acoustic guitars as I need for a specific purpose. Acoustic guitars are really just tools for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i-need-for-a-specific-purpose/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I collect my tools: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, intellect. Night has fallen...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-collect-my-tools-sight-smell-touch-taste-hearing-intellect-night/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [“Collect yourself: to smother what you feel, recall to order, summon in one place; making, like Orpheus, a system against loss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-padel/collect-yourself-to-smother-what-you-feel-recall-to-order-summon-in/) [Ruth Padel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-padel/) ## More by Heinrich Böll > [Humor is really one of the hardest things to define, very hard. And it's very ambiguous. You have it or you don't. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/humor-is-really-one-of-the-hardest-things-to-define-very-hard-and-it/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [I don't trust Catholics," I said, "because they take advantage of you." "And Protestants?" he asked with a laugh. "I loathe the way they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-don-t-trust-catholics-i-said-because-they-take-advantage-of-you-and/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Humor is really one of the hardest things to define, very hard. And it's very ambiguous. You have it, or you don't. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/humor-is-really-one-of-the-hardest-things-to-define-very-hard-and-it-2/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Medals don't suit me. I'm not that kind of guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/medals-don-t-suit-me-i-m-not-that-kind-of-guy/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [“Feelings can kill such good hard things as love and hate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/feelings-can-kill-such-good-hard-things-as-love-and-hate/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [I was born December 21, 1917, in Cologne, on the Rhine, the son of the sculptor and cabinet-maker, Viktor Boell, and his wife, Maria, nee Hermanns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-was-born-december-21-1917-in-cologne-on-the-rhine-the-son-of-the/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Politicians, ideologists, theologians and philosophers try time and again to provide solutions with nothing remaining: prefab solved problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/politicians-ideologists-theologians-and-philosophers-try-time-and/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Between 1950 and 1951, I worked as a temporary employee in the Cologne Bureau of Statistics. From summer 1951 on, I have lived as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/between-1950-and-1951-i-worked-as-a-temporary-employee-in-the-cologne/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Behind every word a whole world is hidden that must be imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/behind-every-word-a-whole-world-is-hidden-that-must-be-imagined/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [My most interesting correspondence is with my translators. I marvel at their sensitivity over certain passages that just anyone, even if he knows German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/my-most-interesting-correspondence-is-with-my-translators-i-marvel-at/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [It's true and it's easily said that language is material, and something does materialise as one writes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/it-s-true-and-it-s-easily-said-that-language-is-material-and/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [On a visit to Cologne in March 1945, after a heavy bombing, I met hundreds and hundreds of deserters who were squatting in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/on-a-visit-to-cologne-in-march-1945-after-a-heavy-bombing-i-met/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [Because the completion of labour service was a precondition for permission to study at the university, I was able to begin my studies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/because-the-completion-of-labour-service-was-a-precondition-for/) [Heinrich Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [If you want to do something... get up and actually do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/if-you-want-to-do-something-get-up-and-actually-do-it/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) > [“Olvidé mencionar que soy sensible no sólo a la melancolía y a la jaqueca, sino que poseo, además, otro don casi místico: puedo percibir…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/olvid-mencionar-que-soy-sensible-no-s-lo-a-la-melancol-a-y-a-la/) [Heinrich Böll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) [Explore all 38 Heinrich Böll quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/) ## More Clown quotes > [“October 3, 2017 The clown, Hagarty said, looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald and that old TV clown, Bozo—or so he thought at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/october-3-2017-the-clown-hagarty-said-looked-like-a-cross-between/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [There are two types of people in this world. People who hate clowns...and clowns. (Bobby Pendragon)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-j-machale-2/there-are-two-types-of-people-in-this-world-people-who-hate-clowns/) [D. J. MacHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-j-machale-2/) > [I wanted to be a clown when I was a kid, so I love interacting and goofing around with kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stonestreet/i-wanted-to-be-a-clown-when-i-was-a-kid-so-i-love-interacting-and/) [Eric Stonestreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stonestreet/) > [When fighting clowns, always go for the juggler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/when-fighting-clowns-always-go-for-the-juggler/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [I try to be the clown and court jester and make people laugh. At the same time, you have people in the hospital who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-simmons/i-try-to-be-the-clown-and-court-jester-and-make-people-laugh-at-the/) [Richard Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-simmons/) > [He's fat and a clown, Bill, a fat clown for all to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-dunphy/he-s-fat-and-a-clown-bill-a-fat-clown-for-all-to-see/) [Eamon Dunphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-dunphy/) > [You know, I was the class clown in Catholic school, but I never thought I would make a living out of it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-vergara/you-know-i-was-the-class-clown-in-catholic-school-but-i-never-thought/) [Sofia Vergara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-vergara/) > [You see, this heart, won't settle down; just like a child, running, scared, from a clown. Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/you-see-this-heart-won-t-settle-down-just-like-a-child-running-scared/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Circus clown. That's a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/circus-clown-that-s-a-new-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I first started getting into acting, I was doing improv in acting class, and I had done a serious monologue and everyone was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-teller/when-i-first-started-getting-into-acting-i-was-doing-improv-in-acting/) [Miles Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-teller/) > [Writing is for men who can think and feel, not mindless sensation seekers out of nightclubs and bars. But these are bad times. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naguib-mahfouz/writing-is-for-men-who-can-think-and-feel-not-mindless-sensation/) [Naguib Mahfouz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naguib-mahfouz/) > [“If i'm gonna be described as a clown for my actions, I might aswell be a whole circus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bee/if-i-m-gonna-be-described-as-a-clown-for-my-actions-i-might-aswell-be/) [Bee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bee/) > [I had a dream that a clown named dimples keep leaving the radio on in my room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-that-a-clown-named-dimples-keep-leaving-the-radio-on-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Is that love? It seems like a pale word, too easily tossed about by people who don’t know the meaning of it, who twist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/is-that-love-it-seems-like-a-pale-word-too-easily-tossed-about-by/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) > [I'm an actor, not a clown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-m-an-actor-not-a-clown/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) [Browse all 837 Clown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clown/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am a clown...and I collect moments.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Heinrich Böll" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clown" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/heinrich-b-ll-13574_clown_i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments-72232_722325.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/heinrich-b-ll-13574_clown_i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments-72232_722325.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d9/heinrich-b-ll-13574_clown_i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments-72232_722325.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am a clown...and I collect moments.” — Heinrich Böll", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Heinrich Böll", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-b-ll/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I am a clown...and I collect...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-b-ll/i-am-a-clown-and-i-collect-moments/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```