--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've gone through a whole series of…" description: "\"I've gone through a whole series of careers where something started as a hobby of some kind. Almost everything I've been paid to do was something that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-knoll-12156_been_i-ve-gone-through-a-whole-series-of-care_788803.jpg" --- # I've gone through a whole series of careers where… ![“I've gone through a whole series of careers where something started as a hobby of some kind. Almost everything I've been paid to do was something that was largely self-taught.” quote by John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-knoll-12156_been_i-ve-gone-through-a-whole-series-of-care_788803.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-knoll-12156_been_i-ve-gone-through-a-whole-series-of-care_788803.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-knoll-12156_been_i-ve-gone-through-a-whole-series-of-care_788803.jpg) > “I've gone through a whole series of careers where something started as a hobby of some kind. Almost everything I've been paid to do was something that was largely self-taught.” [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many professional skills originate from self‑taught hobbies, showing that passion can become paid expertise. **In simple terms:** Hobbies can become careers. Key Takeaway Cultivate passions into professions. Themes career development self‑learning passion Mood inspirational practical Type career motivation When to use this quote - freelance work - creative industries - tech startups Key Concepts skill acquisition entrepreneurship Questions to Reflect On - What hobby could you monetize? - How to balance learning and earning? A Different Perspective Not all hobbies translate to viable careers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Hobby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hobby/) [Self taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-taught/) ## Related quotes > [I think a lot of people learn to code messing around with things while in secondary school. And for me, it started up as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/i-think-a-lot-of-people-learn-to-code-messing-around-with-things/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Debina and I were in a relationship from the days when we were nothing. And then we both went ahead in our careers together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurmeet-choudhary/debina-and-i-were-in-a-relationship-from-the-days-when-we-were/) [Gurmeet Choudhary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurmeet-choudhary/) > [I studied computer science and graphic design, yeah, so music was self-taught and a backburner thing, an obsessive hobby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tycho/i-studied-computer-science-and-graphic-design-yeah-so-music-was-self/) [Tycho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tycho/) > [As a fighter, I think I've done what I wanted to. It started as a hobby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nunes/as-a-fighter-i-think-i-ve-done-what-i-wanted-to-it-started-as-a-hobby/) [Nina Nunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nunes/) > [I love writing and making films. What started as a hobby ultimately turned into my profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/i-love-writing-and-making-films-what-started-as-a-hobby-ultimately/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [It started as a hobby when I was a kid, and I'm finishing as a hobby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-trickle/it-started-as-a-hobby-when-i-was-a-kid-and-i-m-finishing-as-a-hobby/) [Dick Trickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-trickle/) > [I've been acting since I was a kid and it started out as a hobby. I've been lucky enough to make that my professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-fletcher/i-ve-been-acting-since-i-was-a-kid-and-it-started-out-as-a-hobby-i-ve/) [Kelvin Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-fletcher/) > [When my YouTube videos started to get really big, I was like, 'Man, this is pretty sweet.' It started as my hobby, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-mahone/when-my-youtube-videos-started-to-get-really-big-i-was-like-man-this/) [Austin Mahone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-mahone/) > [Vlogging started as a hobby - something I was partaking in purely for fun - and has now become a career, and that feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-helbig/vlogging-started-as-a-hobby-something-i-was-partaking-in-purely-for/) [Grace Helbig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-helbig/) > [It's unbelievable really. For something that started off as a hobby, I ended up getting paid for doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/it-s-unbelievable-really-for-something-that-started-off-as-a-hobby-i/) [Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/) > [Almost everything I've been paid to do was something that was largely self-taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/almost-everything-i-ve-been-paid-to-do-was-something-that-was-largely/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [I was able to turn my hobby into my profession, and I am thankful for that. But I have other interests beside football, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/i-was-able-to-turn-my-hobby-into-my-profession-and-i-am-thankful-for/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [I would never want to model as my career, but fashion is my hobby. When you love what you're wearing, you feel good. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-valverde/i-would-never-want-to-model-as-my-career-but-fashion-is-my-hobby-when/) [Maria Valverde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-valverde/) > [After so many years of rejection, I felt acting would have to become a hobby rather than a full-time profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatima-sana-shaikh/after-so-many-years-of-rejection-i-felt-acting-would-have-to-become-a/) [Fatima Sana Shaikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatima-sana-shaikh/) > [I am a self-taught guitarist. I just try to piece together passages that have some melodic value!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-palladio/i-am-a-self-taught-guitarist-i-just-try-to-piece-together-passages/) [Sam Palladio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-palladio/) ## More by John Knoll > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > ['Pacific Rim,' for me, was a chance to touch on those old Toho monster movies. 'Godzilla' and 'Rodan'... and then 'Ultraman' and 'Robotech' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/pacific-rim-for-me-was-a-chance-to-touch-on-those-old-toho-monster/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [If you need to do a movie where you have an army of 10,000 soldiers, that's a very difficult thing to shoot for real.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/if-you-need-to-do-a-movie-where-you-have-an-army-of-10-000-soldiers/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [A lot of filmmakers understand that the work is done digitally, and it's technically possible to change it late in the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/a-lot-of-filmmakers-understand-that-the-work-is-done-digitally-and-it/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Eighty percent of my job is to ask the question, 'If this were real, what would it look like?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/eighty-percent-of-my-job-is-to-ask-the-question-if-this-were-real/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [I came in during the era of models, motion control, and optical printers. ILM had just started its own computer graphics division, after the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-came-in-during-the-era-of-models-motion-control-and-optical/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [A lot of us got into the industry because of 'Star Wars,' and we all have this love of the original source material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/a-lot-of-us-got-into-the-industry-because-of-star-wars-and-we-all/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [If you were a new guy at ILM, they put you on the night crew - my shift was from 7 P.M. to about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/if-you-were-a-new-guy-at-ilm-they-put-you-on-the-night-crew-my-shift/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Often if a picture is in trouble one way or another, there are ways to salvage it, through reshoots or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/often-if-a-picture-is-in-trouble-one-way-or-another-there-are-ways-to/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Any tool can be used for good or bad. It's really the ethics of the artist using it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/any-tool-can-be-used-for-good-or-bad-it-s-really-the-ethics-of-the/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [When I was a kid, one of my hobbies was as model-maker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/when-i-was-a-kid-one-of-my-hobbies-was-as-model-maker/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Part of the process is always, 'Is there a better way?' We try to think through if there's something we can do better creatively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/part-of-the-process-is-always-is-there-a-better-way-we-try-to-think/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [ILM was the first company that I had worked at that had a computer-graphics division.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/ilm-was-the-first-company-that-i-had-worked-at-that-had-a-computer/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Visual-effects shots should flow into the rest of the live action, and you shouldn't be able to see a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/visual-effects-shots-should-flow-into-the-rest-of-the-live-action-and/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [There are things that I am nostalgic about from the 'good old days.' I loved motion control cameras, actually. I love the way they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/there-are-things-that-i-am-nostalgic-about-from-the-good-old-days-i/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) [Explore all 56 John Knoll quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) ## More Been quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) Browse all 13,699 Been quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've gone through a whole series of careers where something started as a hobby of some kind. 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