--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I dropped out of high school when I was…" description: "\"I dropped out of high school when I was 14 and I started tattooing.\" — Kat Von D" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b62/kat-von-d-6513_high-school_i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was_101129.png" --- # I dropped out of high school when I was 14 and I started… ![“I dropped out of high school when I was 14 and I started tattooing.” quote by Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b62/kat-von-d-6513_high-school_i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was_101129.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b62/kat-von-d-6513_high-school_i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was_101129.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b62/kat-von-d-6513_high-school_i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was_101129.png) > “I dropped out of high school when I was 14 and I started tattooing.” [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving formal education early, she pursued a self‑taught craft, turning personal passion into a professional identity. **In simple terms:** She chose tattooing over school to build her career. Key Takeaway Non‑traditional paths can lead to success. Themes self‑education creativity career choice Mood determined empowered Type personal anecdote career motivation When to use this quote - starting a freelance business - learning a trade outside school Key Concepts entrepreneurship skill acquisition Practical Applications - leverage personal interests for income - build a portfolio early Questions to Reflect On - What risks and rewards come with leaving formal education? - How can self‑directed learning substitute for school? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Tattooing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tattooing/) ## Related quotes > [I hadn't even thought about what I wanted to do when I left school because I was only 14 when I started modelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moss/i-hadn-t-even-thought-about-what-i-wanted-to-do-when-i-left-school/) [Kate Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moss/) > [I only thought I'd get one arm done at first. One arm turned into the other arm. Then I started tattooing my lower arms.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-black/i-only-thought-i-d-get-one-arm-done-at-first-one-arm-turned-into-the/) Aleister Black > [I was 14 when I started modeling. At the end of that first day my mum said, If you want to do this, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moss/i-was-14-when-i-started-modeling-at-the-end-of-that-first-day-my-mum/) [Kate Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moss/) > [I guess it would be nice to be remembered as a good friend to everyone and a dedicated artist to tattooing. I definitely want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-guess-it-would-be-nice-to-be-remembered-as-a-good-friend-to/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [Growing up with a punk-rock background and being an artist all my life, tattooing was something that naturally came to me, I guess. Tattooing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/growing-up-with-a-punk-rock-background-and-being-an-artist-all-my/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [I had to leave school at 14 because my father got injured in the mines and I had to support my family. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-blessed/i-had-to-leave-school-at-14-because-my-father-got-injured-in-the/) [Brian Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-blessed/) > [I left school when I was 14 to work in kitchens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-puck/i-left-school-when-i-was-14-to-work-in-kitchens/) [Wolfgang Puck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-puck/) > [I started going to acting school when I was 14, and I would always have my own take on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/i-started-going-to-acting-school-when-i-was-14-and-i-would-always/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [My father left school at 14 and became a fitter. He didn't want to be at school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/my-father-left-school-at-14-and-became-a-fitter-he-didn-t-want-to-be/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [I was in high school, and when you get to be 14, 15, you start to feel a little more like your own person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-chazelle/i-was-in-high-school-and-when-you-get-to-be-14-15-you-start-to-feel-a/) [Damien Chazelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-chazelle/) > [I'm very superstitious, and I think it's bad luck. You don't have to show your love by tattooing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priya-sachdev/i-m-very-superstitious-and-i-think-it-s-bad-luck-you-don-t-have-to/) [Priya Sachdev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priya-sachdev/) > [“Tattoos are a permanent commitment of passion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tawny-lara/tattoos-are-a-permanent-commitment-of-passion/) Tawny Lara > [“Sometimes you have to go a little crazy before you can find sanity. I think I'm close.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tawny-lara/sometimes-you-have-to-go-a-little-crazy-before-you-can-find-sanity-i/) Tawny Lara > [Tattooing is historical, cultural and a great form of art but it should always be safe for both the client and the tattoo practitioner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-webb/tattooing-is-historical-cultural-and-a-great-form-of-art-but-it/) [William Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-webb/) > [“Tattooing, when understood in its entirety, must be seen as a religious act. The human being brings forth images from the center of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spider-webb/tattooing-when-understood-in-its-entirety-must-be-seen-as-a-religious/) Spider Webb ## More by Kat Von D > [We are the masters of our reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/we-are-the-masters-of-our-reality/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [But true individuality is more about being in tune with who you truly are, whether you're expressing yourself physically, mentally, or spiritually; individuality arises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/but-true-individuality-is-more-about-being-in-tune-with-who-you-truly/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [Express yourself through your art - whether it’s your drawings in a sketchpad, tattoos on your skin, the shade of your lipstick, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/express-yourself-through-your-art-whether-it-s-your-drawings-in-a/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [People always ask me this question and I always have a hard time answering it because I guess every tattoo is super special to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/people-always-ask-me-this-question-and-i-always-have-a-hard-time/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [The funny thing is that I've known since I was 7 years old that I was never going to have kids. I always imagined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/the-funny-thing-is-that-i-ve-known-since-i-was-7-years-old-that-i-was/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [Today I encountered the 19th girl to add to the list of people Jesse cheated on me with during this last year. I kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/today-i-encountered-the-19th-girl-to-add-to-the-list-of-people-jesse/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [I've always been a huge 'Divine' fan. He was so iconic and so ground-breaking, especially for the time that he was around, because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-ve-always-been-a-huge-divine-fan-he-was-so-iconic-and-so-ground/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [People can totally tell if you adjust notes even slightly, and I know how important it is to be able to wear the exact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/people-can-totally-tell-if-you-adjust-notes-even-slightly-and-i-know/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some animals while eating others, when in all reality, all animals are sentient beings with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/years-of-cultural-programming-have-taught-us-to-love-some-animals/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [“To me, the haircut represented beauty and strength, that I was a woman who would live her life without the boundaries imposed upon her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/to-me-the-haircut-represented-beauty-and-strength-that-i-was-a-woman/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [As far as skincare goes, I'm from the school of 'you are what you eat.' I always promote a vegan lifestyle, not just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/as-far-as-skincare-goes-i-m-from-the-school-of-you-are-what-you-eat-i/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [My pro program is going to reach out to more than just the people who have had the luxury of going to makeup school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/my-pro-program-is-going-to-reach-out-to-more-than-just-the-people-who/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [There is no point in developing anything at the cost of exploiting and abusing animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/there-is-no-point-in-developing-anything-at-the-cost-of-exploiting/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [Natacha Marro has always been a favorite shoe designer, and now she has started offering vegan options in her collection, which is brilliant! As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/natacha-marro-has-always-been-a-favorite-shoe-designer-and-now-she/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [I love how me deciding to not continue doing 'LA Ink' turns into being 'cancelled.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-love-how-me-deciding-to-not-continue-doing-la-ink-turns-into-being/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) [Explore all 99 Kat Von D quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) ## More High school quotes > [High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/high-school-sucked-it-was-a-universal-truth-and-whoever-said-these/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [“This was going to be worse than the time I table danced in the diner in high school!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bryson/this-was-going-to-be-worse-than-the-time-i-table-danced-in-the-diner/) [Kathy Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bryson/) > [I remember throughout middle school and high school how excited my mom, sister and I would be when a UNC game was on TV.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/i-remember-throughout-middle-school-and-high-school-how-excited-my/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [In high school, I did some musicals, but I never took acting until college. I was studying opera, classical voice, and a speech teacher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/in-high-school-i-did-some-musicals-but-i-never-took-acting-until/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [I have wrestled in almost every tournament in the world. I've won the Olympics, NCAAs, and World Championships, but none of those can truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-have-wrestled-in-almost-every-tournament-in-the-world-i-ve-won-the/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [“I swear that I will never cause trouble for anybody, as long as I live!! So please! Nobody cause any trouble for me, either!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-furuya/i-swear-that-i-will-never-cause-trouble-for-anybody-as-long-as-i-live/) Minoru Furuya > [I was just putting way too much pressure on myself. I was just trying to get that validation from my dad. It got so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-was-just-putting-way-too-much-pressure-on-myself-i-was-just-trying/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [“I’ve had boyfriends before, and frankly, each one was a disappointment. There was nothing horribly wrong with these boys. It was my fault. I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/i-ve-had-boyfriends-before-and-frankly-each-one-was-a-disappointment/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [I was so shy. Instead of waiting in line with other kids at lunch, I'd go to a corner and buy a pretzel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-facinelli/i-was-so-shy-instead-of-waiting-in-line-with-other-kids-at-lunch-i-d/) [Peter Facinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-facinelli/) [Browse all 7,108 High school quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I dropped out of high school when I was 14 and I started tattooing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kat Von D" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was-14-and-i-started-tattooing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "High school" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was-14-and-i-started-tattooing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b62/kat-von-d-6513_high-school_i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was_101129.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b62/kat-von-d-6513_high-school_i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was_101129.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b62/kat-von-d-6513_high-school_i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was_101129.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I dropped out of high school when I was 14 and I started tattooing.” — Kat Von D", "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": "Kat Von D", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I dropped out of high school...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was-14-and-i-started-tattooing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was-14-and-i-started-tattooing/#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 } } ] } ```