--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't decide that you're going to be a…" description: "\"Don't decide that you're going to be a writer or musician and just expect it to happen because it's a big gamble and a lot less predictable than a conv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/max-bemis-32228_bigs_don-t-decide-that-you-re-going-to-be-a-w_2619096.jpg" --- # Don't decide that you're going to be a writer or musician… ![“Don't decide that you're going to be a writer or musician and just expect it to happen because it's a big gamble and a lot less predictable than a conventional job. But you do increase the likelihood of success by working as hard as you can and holding yourself to the highest standard you can…” quote by Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/max-bemis-32228_bigs_don-t-decide-that-you-re-going-to-be-a-w_2619096.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/max-bemis-32228_bigs_don-t-decide-that-you-re-going-to-be-a-w_2619096.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cb/max-bemis-32228_bigs_don-t-decide-that-you-re-going-to-be-a-w_2619096.jpg) > “Don't decide that you're going to be a writer or musician and just expect it to happen because it's a big gamble and a lot less predictable than a conventional job. But you do increase the likelihood of success by working as hard as you can and holding yourself to the highest standard you can muster.” [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Becoming a writer or musician requires hard work and high standards, not just luck; effort increases success odds. **In simple terms:** Success needs effort, not just luck. Key Takeaway Commit to disciplined practice and high standards. Themes career creativity effort risk discipline Mood determined realistic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - career planning - creative workshops - personal coaching Key Concepts skill development professional growth self‑expectation Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure progress? - What standards guide you? A Different Perspective Hard work doesn’t guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Certainty is rarely if ever possible and we increase the likelihood of getting things wrong if we succumb to the hunger for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/certainty-is-rarely-if-ever-possible-and-we-increase-the-likelihood/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [Obviously, sometimes - most of the time - you can't control the outcome. But if you make fundamentally sound decisions over time, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-hovland/obviously-sometimes-most-of-the-time-you-can-t-control-the-outcome/) [Viktor Hovland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-hovland/) > [“I want to live where things happen on a big scale.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-to-live-where-things-happen-on-a-big-scale/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I work so hard to make that sure I'm successful. If you're positive and really excited and enthusiastic about what you're doing, it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-mendes/i-work-so-hard-to-make-that-sure-i-m-successful-if-you-re-positive/) [Shawn Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-mendes/) > [If things are destined to happen, big directors will notice me and work will come my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sana-khan/if-things-are-destined-to-happen-big-directors-will-notice-me-and/) [Sana Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sana-khan/) > [I thought deeply about this. I ended up concluding that the worst thing that could possibly happen as we get big and as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-thought-deeply-about-this-i-ended-up-concluding-that-the-worst/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [People tend to think that big things only happen to big people ... I think that is not true. The small decisions we make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/people-tend-to-think-that-big-things-only-happen-to-big-people-i/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [We're never ready for the things that happen. When the big stuff happens, we're always looking in the other direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-corrigan/we-re-never-ready-for-the-things-that-happen-when-the-big-stuff/) [Kelly Corrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-corrigan/) > [Everything around a writer, or musician in the record business, probably everything in all the United States or in all of western civilization, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-bone-burnett/everything-around-a-writer-or-musician-in-the-record-business/) [T Bone Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-bone-burnett/) > [There's something really natural to me about being what they call in the business a "hyphenate." Being a musician-actor or writer-musician-actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lola-kirke/there-s-something-really-natural-to-me-about-being-what-they-call-in/) [Lola Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lola-kirke/) > [I know I'm born to be a writer and a musician - that's what I love and am supposed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruel/i-know-i-m-born-to-be-a-writer-and-a-musician-that-s-what-i-love-and/) Ruel > [Every record, you've got more experiences to draw on as a writer and a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/every-record-you-ve-got-more-experiences-to-draw-on-as-a-writer-and-a/) [Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/) > [I have always been a singer, a writer, and a musician, not as a prodigy or as in a trade handed to me by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-always-been-a-singer-a-writer-and-a-musician-not-as-a-prodigy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I could say I'm a writer or that I'm a musician but I don't really do music; I do music to go with things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/i-could-say-i-m-a-writer-or-that-i-m-a-musician-but-i-don-t-really-do/) [Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/) > [I hope to be a writer and musician my whole life, fingers crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitski/i-hope-to-be-a-writer-and-musician-my-whole-life-fingers-crossed/) [Mitski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitski/) ## More by Max Bemis > [Cut the crap. Just don't try to be anything that you aren't, have ambition but when it comes to lyrics especially just be honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/cut-the-crap-just-don-t-try-to-be-anything-that-you-aren-t-have/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [It's healthy for a band to become slightly less relevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/it-s-healthy-for-a-band-to-become-slightly-less-relevant/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [There is that small chance I’ll get what I want; to be someone to relate to for anyone who is as alienated, awkward, spastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/there-is-that-small-chance-i-ll-get-what-i-want-to-be-someone-to/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [In comics, the writer is also the director in a certain way. So if this were a film, you wouldn't tell the cinematographer to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/in-comics-the-writer-is-also-the-director-in-a-certain-way-so-if-this/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [I'm living a life until I die so there will be no shortage of things to sing about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/i-m-living-a-life-until-i-die-so-there-will-be-no-shortage-of-things/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [Don't be afraid to put anything on paper because the best art has some element of danger to it and if you hold back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/don-t-be-afraid-to-put-anything-on-paper-because-the-best-art-has/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [My marriage is the most important thing in my life, but in a weird way I'm able to focus on other things more clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/my-marriage-is-the-most-important-thing-in-my-life-but-in-a-weird-way/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [I'm sort of religious, actually. God can be interpreted many ways, I think. If others were more open-minded about what god can be, instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/i-m-sort-of-religious-actually-god-can-be-interpreted-many-ways-i/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [Try to overcome your doubt. Believe you are beautiful. Look at yourself through someone else's green eyes. Believe someone out there will find you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/try-to-overcome-your-doubt-believe-you-are-beautiful-look-at-yourself/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [I used to download a lot of music, and I understand it in this economy, but personally I buy my music. It feels good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/i-used-to-download-a-lot-of-music-and-i-understand-it-in-this-economy/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [You have to compensate for the luck thing by working as hard as you can and doing the very best you can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/you-have-to-compensate-for-the-luck-thing-by-working-as-hard-as-you/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [My grandparents are holocaust survivors so I was really aware at a young age how horrible human beings can be to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/my-grandparents-are-holocaust-survivors-so-i-was-really-aware-at-a/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [I think life awards you if have your priorities in the right place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/i-think-life-awards-you-if-have-your-priorities-in-the-right-place/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) > [I like to play music that people can feel deeply but it's also interesting to listen to - a nice balance between cathartic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-bemis/i-like-to-play-music-that-people-can-feel-deeply-but-it-s-also/) [Max Bemis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) [Explore all 15 Max Bemis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-bemis/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't decide that you're going to be a writer or musician and just expect it to happen because it's a big gamble and a lot less predictable than a conventional job. 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