---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always been a writer. I've always…"
description: "\"I've always been a writer. I've always done writing or spoken-word, hip-hop stuff with my friends.\" — Mat Kearney"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/mat-kearney-3612_always_i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-do_2141460.png"
---

#  I've always been a writer. I've always done writing or…

![“I've always been a writer. I've always done writing or spoken-word, hip-hop stuff with my friends.” quote by Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/mat-kearney-3612_always_i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-do_2141460.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/mat-kearney-3612_always_i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-do_2141460.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/mat-kearney-3612_always_i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-do_2141460.png)

> “I've always been a writer. I've always done writing or spoken-word, hip-hop stuff with my friends.”

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

## About This Quote

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

He identifies himself primarily as a writer, working across spoken word and hip‑hop with friends.

**In simple terms:** He sees himself as a writer in many forms.

Key Takeaway

Embrace diverse writing forms.

Themes

identity creativity collaboration

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

personal professional

When to use this quote

- songwriting sessions
- poetry slams
- hip‑hop collaborations
- creative workshops

Key Concepts

artistic expression multidisciplinary practice

Questions to Reflect On

- How does collaboration shape your voice?
- What mediums could you explore next?

A Different Perspective

May limit perception to writing only, overlooking other talents.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Hip hop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hip-hop/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [I've been writing since I was very young, even before I was a teenager. As far as I'm concerned, I am a writer -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/i-ve-been-writing-since-i-was-very-young-even-before-i-was-a-teenager/)

[Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/)

> [When you are writing a spoken word poem, the tools you're working with are your voice, your body, how it's going to sound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-kay/when-you-are-writing-a-spoken-word-poem-the-tools-you-re-working-with/)

Phil Kay

> [ I've always defined myself as a writer, I've never decided what it was I was gonna write. \[...\] I always fancied myself one, but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-corddry/i-ve-always-defined-myself-as-a-writer-i-ve-never-decided-what-it-was/)

[Rob Corddry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-corddry/)

> [I always wanted to write. But honestly I'm glad I didn't do it back when I was twenty-five or so, when it's now clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/i-always-wanted-to-write-but-honestly-i-m-glad-i-didn-t-do-it-back/)

[Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/)

> [As a writer, I've always been interested in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-tabucchi/as-a-writer-i-ve-always-been-interested-in-others/)

[Antonio Tabucchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-tabucchi/)

> [I've always been a writer. I've always loved words, ever since I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-michaels/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-loved-words-ever-since-i-was-a/)

[Julia Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-michaels/)

> [I'm a writer. I've been a journalist for my whole adult life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-dubner/i-m-a-writer-i-ve-been-a-journalist-for-my-whole-adult-life/)

[Stephen J. Dubner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-dubner/)

> [I'm a writer and I've had some success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-radziwill/i-m-a-writer-and-i-ve-had-some-success/)

[Carole Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-radziwill/)

> [I think - I hope - I became a better writer as I've worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-think-i-hope-i-became-a-better-writer-as-i-ve-worked/)

[Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/)

> [I've always been a writer, I've always been a storyteller, but I never thought about screenwriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-been-a-storyteller-but-i-never/)

[Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/)

> [I've always wanted to be a writer, and I've kept journals since I was eight years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-jane-grace/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-a-writer-and-i-ve-kept-journals-since-i-was/)

[Laura Jane Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-jane-grace/)

> [I was always meant to be a writer. I've felt that way since I was a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/i-was-always-meant-to-be-a-writer-i-ve-felt-that-way-since-i-was-a/)

[Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/)

> [I could never really decide what I wanted to be when I grew up, and for a while, I thought that maybe I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-tosi/i-could-never-really-decide-what-i-wanted-to-be-when-i-grew-up-and/)

[Christina Tosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-tosi/)

> [I've always been a writer because I've always been a student. My mom's a retired professor, so I come from a very academic background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-because-i-ve-always-been-a-student-my-mom-s/)

[Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/)

> [When I hear about some sensational new writer I sort of think, Shut up ... you've got to be around for a long time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/when-i-hear-about-some-sensational-new-writer-i-sort-of-think-shut-up/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

## More by Mat Kearney

> [My dad was a scratch golfer growing up. When I'm on the road, I always bring my clubs with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/my-dad-was-a-scratch-golfer-growing-up-when-i-m-on-the-road-i-always/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [With 'City of Black &amp; White,' I wanted a record that would make you feel good, that would sort of take you up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/with-city-of-black-white-i-wanted-a-record-that-would-make-you-feel/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [The first year I moved to Nashville, I started playing these songwriter nights with people like Nickel Creek, Duncan Sheik, and even Ryan Adams...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/the-first-year-i-moved-to-nashville-i-started-playing-these/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [When we tour, there's always this unique quality to every town you visit... Touring, you get a sense of a collective identity for different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/when-we-tour-there-s-always-this-unique-quality-to-every-town-you/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [I meant what I said when I said until my dying day.I'm holding on to you, holding on to me.Maybe it's all gone black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-meant-what-i-said-when-i-said-until-my-dying-day-i-m-holding-on-to/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [God found me when I was at my lowest point. That was the first time in my life when I really felt like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/god-found-me-when-i-was-at-my-lowest-point-that-was-the-first-time-in/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [It's not the circumstances that determine who you're gonna be but how you deal with these problems and pains that come your way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/it-s-not-the-circumstances-that-determine-who-you-re-gonna-be-but-how/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [I'm really influenced by '90s hip hop. A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul were my heroes growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-m-really-influenced-by-90s-hip-hop-a-tribe-called-quest-and-de-la/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [Well, I never made a record to be in the Christian market. So when I made my record it was to exist in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/well-i-never-made-a-record-to-be-in-the-christian-market-so-when-i/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [I guess we're all one phone call from our knees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-guess-we-re-all-one-phone-call-from-our-knees/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [I love creating moments that feel bigger than just like an artist on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-love-creating-moments-that-feel-bigger-than-just-like-an-artist-on/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [Just because you've written a song doesn't mean that you have pulled through. There are definitely songs where I embodied someone else's pain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/just-because-you-ve-written-a-song-doesn-t-mean-that-you-have-pulled/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [It's silly to throw things out or label things. You know, is U2 a Christian band, or was Johnny Cash a Christian country singer?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/it-s-silly-to-throw-things-out-or-label-things-you-know-is-u2-a/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [Generally, the songs that are the scariest ones are the ones that people connect to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/generally-the-songs-that-are-the-scariest-ones-are-the-ones-that/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

> [I never got too specialized but did like the Southern Gothic writers like William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-never-got-too-specialized-but-did-like-the-southern-gothic-writers/)

[Mat Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

[Explore all 126 Mat Kearney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/)

## More Always quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

[William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

> [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/)

[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/)

[Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/)

[Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

Browse all 36,048 Always quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I've always been a writer. I've always done writing or spoken-word, hip-hop stuff with my friends.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mat Kearney"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-done-writing-or-spoken-word-hip/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Always"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-done-writing-or-spoken-word-hip/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/mat-kearney-3612_always_i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-do_2141460.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/mat-kearney-3612_always_i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-do_2141460.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/mat-kearney-3612_always_i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-do_2141460.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've always been a writer. I've always done writing or spoken-word, hip-hop stuff with my friends.” — Mat Kearney",
                "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": "Mat Kearney",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-kearney/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've always been a writer. I've...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-done-writing-or-spoken-word-hip/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-kearney/i-ve-always-been-a-writer-i-ve-always-done-writing-or-spoken-word-hip/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
