---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Working on the Obama campaign was a…"
description: "\"Working on the Obama campaign was a life-changer for me. I realized during that campaign that structure is the name of the game, and so, soon after the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/ira-sachs-7093_adam_working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life_2220611.jpg"
---

#  Working on the Obama campaign was a life-changer for me. I…

![“Working on the Obama campaign was a life-changer for me. I realized during that campaign that structure is the name of the game, and so, soon after the election, filmmaker Adam Baran and I started Queer/Art/Film, a monthly series at the IFC Film Center in downtown New York that invites queer…” quote by Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/ira-sachs-7093_adam_working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life_2220611.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/ira-sachs-7093_adam_working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life_2220611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/ira-sachs-7093_adam_working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life_2220611.jpg)

> “Working on the Obama campaign was a life-changer for me. I realized during that campaign that structure is the name of the game, and so, soon after the election, filmmaker Adam Baran and I started Queer/Art/Film, a monthly series at the IFC Film Center in downtown New York that invites queer artists to present the films they love to an audience.”

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He found that political campaigning taught him the importance of structure, leading to a queer art film series that showcases diverse voices.

**In simple terms:** Campaign work taught him structure, inspiring a queer film series.

Key Takeaway

Use structure to build inclusive creative platforms.

Themes

politics film queer culture community building

Mood

hopeful determined

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- film festivals
- community workshops
- LGBTQ+ events

Key Concepts

organizational strategy artistic curation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can structure support rather than constrain creativity?
- What role does community play in artistic success?

A Different Perspective

Structure alone may not guarantee artistic freedom.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adam/) [After](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-film-935814/) [Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Campaign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign/) [Center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/center/) [Downtown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downtown/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Election Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election-filmmaker-4954823/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Invites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invites/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Monthly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monthly/) [Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/name/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama/) [Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present/) [Queer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queer/) [Queer Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queer-art-1755700/) [Queer Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queer-artists-1591370/) [Realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realized/) [Series](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/series/) [Soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soon/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Queer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-queer-4954822/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) [York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york/)

## Related quotes

> [It's so important to recognize that there have been fabulous queer artists all throughout our history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/it-s-so-important-to-recognize-that-there-have-been-fabulous-queer/)

[Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/)

> [I think that there are all these amazing figures in our history - the Bowies, the Tina Turners, the Chers, the people who are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-princess/i-think-that-there-are-all-these-amazing-figures-in-our-history-the/)

[King Princess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-princess/)

> [I'm touching people, helping people, and I'm making music I love. I like to think a lot of other black queer artists feel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mnek/i-m-touching-people-helping-people-and-i-m-making-music-i-love-i-like/)

[MNEK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mnek/)

> ['Drag Race' is so unique in how much progress it has made in how people think of people in LGBTQIA-plus community and has helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aquaria/drag-race-is-so-unique-in-how-much-progress-it-has-made-in-how-people/)

[Aquaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aquaria/)

> [“This is a story of art without markets, drama without a script, narrative without progress. The queer art of failure turns on the impossible,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jack-halberstam/this-is-a-story-of-art-without-markets-drama-without-a-script/)

[J. Jack Halberstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-jack-halberstam/)

> [Queer art is as much about starting conversations as it is about making dramatic statements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-velour/queer-art-is-as-much-about-starting-conversations-as-it-is-about/)

[Sasha Velour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-velour/)

> [Drag is never going to be completely mainstream because it's still a queer art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-visage/drag-is-never-going-to-be-completely-mainstream-because-it-s-still-a/)

[Michelle Visage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-visage/)

> [Poetry is a totally different art than film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-brakhage/poetry-is-a-totally-different-art-than-film/)

[Stan Brakhage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-brakhage/)

> [It is very easy to make an art film. They are an exercise in self-deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-mathew/it-is-very-easy-to-make-an-art-film-they-are-an-exercise-in-self/)

[Joy Mathew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-mathew/)

> [For me, acting is about the art of it and it's about being on a film set and doing your thing, painting a blank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailene-woodley/for-me-acting-is-about-the-art-of-it-and-it-s-about-being-on-a-film/)

[Shailene Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailene-woodley/)

> [I don’t like the idea of “understanding” a film. I don’t believe that rational understanding is an essential element in the reception of any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-understanding-a-film-i-don-t-believe-that/)

[Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/)

> [I was truly ignorant about art before the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-forlani/i-was-truly-ignorant-about-art-before-the-film/)

[Claire Forlani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-forlani/)

> [There is something particularly fascinating about seeing places you know in a piece of art - be that in a film, or a photograph,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/there-is-something-particularly-fascinating-about-seeing-places-you/)

[Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/)

> [It's amazing how everyone has their different ways of working. I like hearing about that process, reading about it. I have so much appreciation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gia-coppola/it-s-amazing-how-everyone-has-their-different-ways-of-working-i-like/)

[Gia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gia-coppola/)

> [I don't make a division between an art film and commercial art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wright/i-don-t-make-a-division-between-an-art-film-and-commercial-art/)

[Joe Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wright/)

## More by Ira Sachs

> [New York grabbed me too hard, as did adulthood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/new-york-grabbed-me-too-hard-as-did-adulthood/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [My early films were about self discovery, and films of internal conflict. At that level, they were very personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/my-early-films-were-about-self-discovery-and-films-of-internal/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [So there's a choice that I made to tell stories that are still psychological melodramas about domestic issues. The challenge is to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/so-there-s-a-choice-that-i-made-to-tell-stories-that-are-still/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [My father moved out to Park City in in the mid-'70s and lived in a Winnebago behind a hippie joint called Utah Coal &amp;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/my-father-moved-out-to-park-city-in-in-the-mid-70s-and-lived-in-a/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [I do love the young adult novels as a form and genre, because it has a purity of intention and heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/i-do-love-the-young-adult-novels-as-a-form-and-genre-because-it-has-a/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [For me, an actor is really, first and foremost, a person and an individual, more than they are an actor or a professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/for-me-an-actor-is-really-first-and-foremost-a-person-and-an/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [I make films that are very personal, and I always have. It's kind of the only thing that I think I have to offer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/i-make-films-that-are-very-personal-and-i-always-have-it-s-kind-of/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [Everyone wants to belong, and everyone needs to belong in order to make a career on some level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/everyone-wants-to-belong-and-everyone-needs-to-belong-in-order-to/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [I'm someone who can create critiques of individuals based on their economic history. That's one way I look at people in terms of one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/i-m-someone-who-can-create-critiques-of-individuals-based-on-their/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [For me, every film is actually a form of documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/for-me-every-film-is-actually-a-form-of-documentary/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [I realize I have strength as an artist and professional by embracing my difference instead of what makes me the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/i-realize-i-have-strength-as-an-artist-and-professional-by-embracing/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [Every time you make a film, you create a world. You make decisions about sets and costumes, and you create a universe connected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/every-time-you-make-a-film-you-create-a-world-you-make-decisions/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [Everything encourages you not to tell stories of gay lives. There is no economy yet for that kind of cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/everything-encourages-you-not-to-tell-stories-of-gay-lives-there-is/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [For gay people, we learned about our lives in secrecy and a lot of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/for-gay-people-we-learned-about-our-lives-in-secrecy-and-a-lot-of-fear/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

> [I think as a gay person, there was no way in my generation to not grow up with shame and a sense of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/i-think-as-a-gay-person-there-was-no-way-in-my-generation-to-not-grow/)

[Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

[Explore all 95 Ira Sachs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/)

## More Adam quotes

> [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. Ask Richard Burton or Richie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/women-rule-the-world-it-s-not-really-worth-fighting-because-they-know/)

[Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/)

> [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/)

[Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/)

> [“Mary: Some call this "Eve's curse," but I think that is stupid because the real curse of Eve was having to put up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/mary-some-call-this-eve-s-curse-but-i-think-that-is-stupid-because/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [“Adam could imagine what he looked like: a debauched nerd.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/adam-could-imagine-what-he-looked-like-a-debauched-nerd/)

[Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/)

> [Adam Berenson knows how to compose, organize an ensemble, do musical research, play solo and trio piano, write for musical journals, and enlist others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/adam-berenson-knows-how-to-compose-organize-an-ensemble-do-musical/)

[Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/)

> [“Finally, someone had seen him. And what had he done? Let her get away. Undermined by his disgusting human anatomy. It had just been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/finally-someone-had-seen-him-and-what-had-he-done-let-her-get-away/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of sin, was never invented by any of Adam's descendents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/an-ineffably-holy-god-who-has-the-utmost-abhorrence-of-sin-was-never/)

[Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/)

> [“think Adam is looking to break Kenji’s neck at this point.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/think-adam-is-looking-to-break-kenji-s-neck-at-this-point/)

[Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/)

> [“Adam's lips are set in a grime line. I can't tell if he's about to cry or about to punch the guard. For his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/adam-s-lips-are-set-in-a-grime-line-i-can-t-tell-if-he-s-about-to-cry/)

[Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/)

> [And as regards Adam and Eve we must maintain that before the fall they were virgins in Paradise: but after they sinned, and were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/and-as-regards-adam-and-eve-we-must-maintain-that-before-the-fall/)

[St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/)

> [Adam became so proud that he wished to become God and died for his pride; the Son of God humbled Himself unto death, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/adam-became-so-proud-that-he-wished-to-become-god-and-died-for-his/)

[John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/)

> [Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees, So when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/oh-adam-was-a-gardener-and-god-who-made-him-sees-that-half-a-proper/)

[Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/)

> [“Barışı elde etmek için çabalayan her adam olağanüstü bir adamdır!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/bar-elde-etmek-i-in-abalayan-her-adam-ola-an-st-bir-adamd-r/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

[Browse all 1,360 Adam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adam/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Working on the Obama campaign was a life-changer for me. I realized during that campaign that structure is the name of the game, and so, soon after the election, filmmaker Adam Baran and I started Queer/Art/Film, a monthly series at the IFC Film Center in downtown New York that invites queer artists to present the films they love to an audience.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ira Sachs"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life-changer-for-me-i-realized/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adam"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life-changer-for-me-i-realized/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/ira-sachs-7093_adam_working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life_2220611.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/ira-sachs-7093_adam_working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life_2220611.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/ira-sachs-7093_adam_working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life_2220611.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Working on the Obama campaign was a life-changer for me. I realized during that campaign that structure is…” — Ira Sachs",
                "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": "Ira Sachs",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Working on the Obama campaign was...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life-changer-for-me-i-realized/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/working-on-the-obama-campaign-was-a-life-changer-for-me-i-realized/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
