--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't know I was a good director, and…" description: "\"I didn't know I was a good director, and I mean that sincerely. I had done a film a long time ago called 'Cold Around the Heart.' Nobody saw it, and it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/john-ridley-4100_around_i-didn-t-know-i-was-a-good-director-and_287817.jpg" --- # I didn't know I was a good director, and I mean that… ![“I didn't know I was a good director, and I mean that sincerely. I had done a film a long time ago called 'Cold Around the Heart.' Nobody saw it, and it didn't turn out the way I wanted to.” quote by John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/john-ridley-4100_around_i-didn-t-know-i-was-a-good-director-and_287817.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/john-ridley-4100_around_i-didn-t-know-i-was-a-good-director-and_287817.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/john-ridley-4100_around_i-didn-t-know-i-was-a-good-director-and_287817.jpg) > “I didn't know I was a good director, and I mean that sincerely. I had done a film a long time ago called 'Cold Around the Heart.' Nobody saw it, and it didn't turn out the way I wanted to.” [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He discovers his directing talent later, reflecting on an early, unseen film that fell short of his vision. **In simple terms:** He realized his talent after a failed film. Key Takeaway Embrace early failures as learning steps. Themes self-discovery film growth Mood introspective encouraging Type creative career When to use this quote - film festivals - indie projects - career retrospectives Key Concepts directing creative process Questions to Reflect On - What lessons did that film teach you? - How can you apply those insights now? A Different Perspective Early setbacks can erode confidence if not reframed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-heart/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Good director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-director/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Being a director it's mean - digging deep in yourself as well. I think the deeper I understood the material and the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-di-novi/being-a-director-it-s-mean-digging-deep-in-yourself-as-well-i-think/) [Denise Di Novi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-di-novi/) > [One of my first jobs was on a show called 'Cold Case.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-j-adams/one-of-my-first-jobs-was-on-a-show-called-cold-case/) [Patrick J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-j-adams/) > [“What do you want to talk about until the flight is called?" "Cold wind. Sleet. The ugly doorman at Club 39. Porridge." I burst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-young/what-do-you-want-to-talk-about-until-the-flight-is-called-cold-wind/) [Samantha Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-young/) > [If the project has good writing and is something I get excited about, then I'll do the role. And if it's for TV, I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gbenga-akinnagbe/if-the-project-has-good-writing-and-is-something-i-get-excited-about/) [Gbenga Akinnagbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gbenga-akinnagbe/) > [Good is the director who lets you do what you have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ribot/good-is-the-director-who-lets-you-do-what-you-have-to-do/) [Marc Ribot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ribot/) > [There are definitely reasons to do certain things, but I like to stick to good director, good actor, good script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seyfried/there-are-definitely-reasons-to-do-certain-things-but-i-like-to-stick/) [Amanda Seyfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seyfried/) > [No director wants to be directed, but no good director... would shy away from the good ideas of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/no-director-wants-to-be-directed-but-no-good-director-would-shy-away/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [There's a paraphrase about Orson Welles saying: "Great films are made by great directors and the rest are made by everyone else." I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/there-s-a-paraphrase-about-orson-welles-saying-great-films-are-made/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [After all these years, I'm starting to learn what a good director does, and I know what a good one does with actors: help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-geraghty/after-all-these-years-i-m-starting-to-learn-what-a-good-director-does/) Brian Geraghty > [A good director makes a playground and allows you to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/a-good-director-makes-a-playground-and-allows-you-to-play/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Directors know nothing. I never had the privilege of working with any good director. Except Satyen Bose and Bimal Roy, no one even knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-kumar/directors-know-nothing-i-never-had-the-privilege-of-working-with-any/) [Kishore Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-kumar/) > [I think the mark of a good director is that they surround themselves with good people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-gadon/i-think-the-mark-of-a-good-director-is-that-they-surround-themselves/) [Sarah Gadon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-gadon/) > [Due to God's grace and a good director, I became successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajinikanth/due-to-god-s-grace-and-a-good-director-i-became-successful/) [Rajinikanth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajinikanth/) > [I feel like a good director provokes you to ask questions about your character, but doesn't answer them for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-reed/i-feel-like-a-good-director-provokes-you-to-ask-questions-about-your/) [Crystal Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-reed/) > [It is true that I got recognition. But however good the comedies are, nobody will accept a good comedy director as a good director.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyadarshan/it-is-true-that-i-got-recognition-but-however-good-the-comedies-are/) [Priyadarshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyadarshan/) ## More by John Ridley > [The hypocrisy and false piety of the deniers aside, the relationships of gays have no effect on heteros. Especially all the heteros who've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/the-hypocrisy-and-false-piety-of-the-deniers-aside-the-relationships/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [If art is singular expression, then by nature, the best art is controversial. But when art stirs debate for reasons besides its artistic integrity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/if-art-is-singular-expression-then-by-nature-the-best-art-is/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [While most trudge through their days straight-jacketed in the social compact, living for others as much as or more than for themselves, a select…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/while-most-trudge-through-their-days-straight-jacketed-in-the-social/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Why is it that the very people who have fought so hard and so long for the simple entitlement to love whom they choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/why-is-it-that-the-very-people-who-have-fought-so-hard-and-so-long/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [There are any number of very hard working people in Hollywood who deserve recognition. 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So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/) [Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/) > [I drink maple syrup. Then I'm hyper so I just run around like crazy and work it all off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-mcadams/i-drink-maple-syrup-then-i-m-hyper-so-i-just-run-around-like-crazy/) [Rachel McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-mcadams/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I have to say, I grew up with fashion because my mother was a seamstress, and she had an atelier. 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