--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Underneath this tired, middle-aged…" description: "\"Underneath this tired, middle-aged exterior, I'm an 11 year old kid.\" — Henry Selick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/henry-selick-11753_exterior_underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exteri_3082869.png" --- # Underneath this tired, middle-aged exterior, I'm an 11… ![“Underneath this tired, middle-aged exterior, I'm an 11 year old kid.” quote by Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/henry-selick-11753_exterior_underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exteri_3082869.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/henry-selick-11753_exterior_underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exteri_3082869.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/henry-selick-11753_exterior_underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exteri_3082869.png) > “Underneath this tired, middle-aged exterior, I'm an 11 year old kid.” [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even when appearing mature, inner childlike wonder persists, influencing creativity and perspective. **In simple terms:** Adults retain youthful inner selves. Key Takeaway Embrace your inner child for fresh ideas. Themes creativity inner child self-awareness age authenticity Mood playful introspective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - creative work - personal growth - stress relief Key Concepts developmental psychology artistic inspiration identity formation Questions to Reflect On - What childlike traits do you still possess? - How does this affect your work? A Different Perspective Ignoring the inner child can limit emotional expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [11 Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/11-year-729970/) [Exterior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exterior/) [Exterior 11](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exterior-11-5266019/) [Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kid/) [Middle aged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-aged/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Tired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tired/) [Tired Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tired-middle-2197708/) [Underneath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underneath/) [Underneath Tired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underneath-tired-5266020/) [Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year/) ## Related quotes > [If I get it I'ma hit it right, I know you tired it's the middle of the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/if-i-get-it-i-ma-hit-it-right-i-know-you-tired-it-s-the-middle-of-the/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) > [It is hard work to give life to new characters every single day. It is not as if I am God. I am just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-fossum/it-is-hard-work-to-give-life-to-new-characters-every-single-day-it-is/) [Karin Fossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-fossum/) > [An 11 year old sister has been taught by the media that her body is an object, will be compared to other bodies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-blanchard/an-11-year-old-sister-has-been-taught-by-the-media-that-her-body-is/) [Rowan Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-blanchard/) > [When you are an 11-year-old kid and you want to be a racing driver and you see a Formula One driver, they are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-russell/when-you-are-an-11-year-old-kid-and-you-want-to-be-a-racing-driver/) [George Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-russell/) > [I didn't want to die. I wanted to live. I wanted to be with my family and wanted to see my 11-year-old son grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grizz-chapman/i-didn-t-want-to-die-i-wanted-to-live-i-wanted-to-be-with-my-family/) [Grizz Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grizz-chapman/) > [I'll say - I have four kids! I married a woman when I was 24 years old. She was 13 years my senior. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/i-ll-say-i-have-four-kids-i-married-a-woman-when-i-was-24-years-old/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [That's the thing that continues to blow me away and just never ceases to amaze me. Younger people continue to seek out this show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-roday/that-s-the-thing-that-continues-to-blow-me-away-and-just-never-ceases/) [James Roday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-roday/) > [At drama school, I was always playing the 11-year-old boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-harington/at-drama-school-i-was-always-playing-the-11-year-old-boys/) [Kit Harington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-harington/) > [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/) > [I was the most tired 11-year-old in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clemantine-wamariya/i-was-the-most-tired-11-year-old-in-the-world/) [Clemantine Wamariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clemantine-wamariya/) > [The whole time I was on 'Grey's,' I'm still reconciling myself to my 11-year-old son, because he never saw me during that time. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/the-whole-time-i-was-on-grey-s-i-m-still-reconciling-myself-to-my-11/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [My 11-year-old thinks I'm cool because he watches things I've made on YouTube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armando-iannucci/my-11-year-old-thinks-i-m-cool-because-he-watches-things-i-ve-made-on/) [Armando Iannucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armando-iannucci/) > [Yesterday I asked an 11 year old 'what was up', she said the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-styles/yesterday-i-asked-an-11-year-old-what-was-up-she-said-the-sky/) [Harry Styles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-styles/) > [Dear 11 year old on Facebook with 'It's complicated.' Seriously????? What did he do??? Steal your animal crackers??](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-11-year-old-on-facebook-with-it-s-complicated-seriously-what-did/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I sat there in 1971 and watched my grandfather open Walt Disney World, I was a little 11-year-old girl who worshiped the ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-disney/when-i-sat-there-in-1971-and-watched-my-grandfather-open-walt-disney/) [Abigail Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-disney/) ## More by Henry Selick > [My mother is a huge fan of my work. I told her about 'Coraline' long before the film was made, and she got the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/my-mother-is-a-huge-fan-of-my-work-i-told-her-about-coraline-long/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [I get rewarded virtually every day with something amazing to see - whether it's a new shot, a miniature sweater, someone who's figured out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/i-get-rewarded-virtually-every-day-with-something-amazing-to-see/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [There's very few people who want to just make beautiful films that make money, when they can make films that make huge money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/there-s-very-few-people-who-want-to-just-make-beautiful-films-that/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [In all animation, if it's done quickly, you'll know it. And if you're very slow and careful with it, it's going to look a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/in-all-animation-if-it-s-done-quickly-you-ll-know-it-and-if-you-re/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [There's always kids who become stop motion animators. I get stuff all the time. They put it on YouTube. It's exciting to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/there-s-always-kids-who-become-stop-motion-animators-i-get-stuff-all/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [I have more faith in doing something creative for a cable station or something like Yahoo or Google or Amazon. What Netflix did with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/i-have-more-faith-in-doing-something-creative-for-a-cable-station-or/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [What stop-motion does best is present real objects magically brought to life in a very imperfect situation; the hand of the artist is there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/what-stop-motion-does-best-is-present-real-objects-magically-brought/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [There's the animation ghetto of feature films in this country. There's this flavor at DreamWorks, and Pixar does their own thing, and generally they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/there-s-the-animation-ghetto-of-feature-films-in-this-country-there-s/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [I was influenced by Ray Harryhausen and Lotte Reiniger, with her twitchy, cutout animation, which I happened to see at a very young age,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/i-was-influenced-by-ray-harryhausen-and-lotte-reiniger-with-her/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [I think it's important that kids see another kid - Coraline - who doesn't have guns, she doesn't have super-powers, she's not a super-genius.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/i-think-it-s-important-that-kids-see-another-kid-coraline-who-doesn-t/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [Puppets seem like vampires sometimes. They live, and you're depleted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/puppets-seem-like-vampires-sometimes-they-live-and-you-re-depleted/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [While I was making 'Coraline' I barely got to see any films at all, so I've got a lot of catching up to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/while-i-was-making-coraline-i-barely-got-to-see-any-films-at-all-so-i/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [Kids love to be scared - there's way to do it right, and ways to do it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/kids-love-to-be-scared-there-s-way-to-do-it-right-and-ways-to-do-it/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [Having to make a blockbuster every time puts unhealthy pressure on creatives. The pressure on the filmmakers is so intense, I think it stifles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/having-to-make-a-blockbuster-every-time-puts-unhealthy-pressure-on/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [People spend the money where the money is. Nightmare never goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/people-spend-the-money-where-the-money-is-nightmare-never-goes-away/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) [Explore all 58 Henry Selick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) ## More Exterior quotes > [Sometimes I envy painters, it is wonderful to remain in front of a bouquet of flowers a whole morning, or even longer. A photographer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-boubat/sometimes-i-envy-painters-it-is-wonderful-to-remain-in-front-of-a/) [Edouard Boubat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-boubat/) > [It is the free alone which never changes, and the unchangeable alone which is free; for change is produced by something exterior to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/it-is-the-free-alone-which-never-changes-and-the-unchangeable-alone/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As more Americans meet Mitt Romney, I think they'll see beyond the handsome exterior and see not just a good salesman, but a thoughtful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-jean-lopez/as-more-americans-meet-mitt-romney-i-think-they-ll-see-beyond-the/) [Kathryn Jean Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-jean-lopez/) > [If the love of God really reigns in your heart, it will show itself in the exterior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mcauley/if-the-love-of-god-really-reigns-in-your-heart-it-will-show-itself-in/) [Catherine McAuley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mcauley/) > [And what is faith, love, virtue unassayed Alone, without exterior help sustained?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-what-is-faith-love-virtue-unassayed-alone-without-exterior-help/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Life can be very funny and very tragic. Everyone has stuff that they've been through that makes up whatever fire it is that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/life-can-be-very-funny-and-very-tragic-everyone-has-stuff-that-they/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [The senses are the organs by which man places himself in connexion with exterior objects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/the-senses-are-the-organs-by-which-man-places-himself-in-connexion/) [Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/) > [To desire to be what one can be is purpose in life. There are no exterior forces. There are only interior forces. Who squanders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/to-desire-to-be-what-one-can-be-is-purpose-in-life-there-are-no/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [I try to keep away exterior events that are going to make me do something negative internally to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-shaye/i-try-to-keep-away-exterior-events-that-are-going-to-make-me-do/) [Lin Shaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-shaye/) > [From the exterior face of the wall towers must be projected, from which an approaching enemy may be annoyed by weapons, from the embrasures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/from-the-exterior-face-of-the-wall-towers-must-be-projected-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thus happiness depends, as nature shows, less on exterior things than most suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/thus-happiness-depends-as-nature-shows-less-on-exterior-things-than/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [An oyster, that marvel of delicacy, that concentration of sapid excellence, that mouthful bwefore all other mouthfuls, who first had faith to believe it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/an-oyster-that-marvel-of-delicacy-that-concentration-of-sapid/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [In other words, the real problem is not exterior. The real problem is interior. The real problem is how to get people to internally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/in-other-words-the-real-problem-is-not-exterior-the-real-problem-is/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [It was a strange monster, for beneath its exterior it was frightened and sickened by its own violence. It chastised itself for its savagery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/it-was-a-strange-monster-for-beneath-its-exterior-it-was-frightened/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [I saw that the kingdom must be interior before it can be exterior, that it is a kingdom of ideas, and not one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-whitall-smith/i-saw-that-the-kingdom-must-be-interior-before-it-can-be-exterior/) [Hannah Whitall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-whitall-smith/) [Browse all 212 Exterior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exterior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Underneath this tired, middle-aged exterior, I'm an 11 year old kid.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Selick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exterior-i-m-an-11-year-old-kid/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Exterior" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exterior-i-m-an-11-year-old-kid/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/henry-selick-11753_exterior_underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exteri_3082869.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/henry-selick-11753_exterior_underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exteri_3082869.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/henry-selick-11753_exterior_underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exteri_3082869.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Underneath this tired, middle-aged exterior, I'm an 11 year old kid.” — Henry Selick", "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": "Henry Selick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Underneath this tired, middle-aged exterior, I'm...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exterior-i-m-an-11-year-old-kid/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/underneath-this-tired-middle-aged-exterior-i-m-an-11-year-old-kid/#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 } } ] } ```