---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole thing of working in all these…"
description: "\"The whole thing of working in all these different mediums, it's just so that I can always be playing hooky from one of them. I can always be rebelling ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3af/miranda-july-1600_book_the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these_66025.jpg"
---

#  The whole thing of working in all these different mediums…

![“The whole thing of working in all these different mediums, it's just so that I can always be playing hooky from one of them. I can always be rebelling against my boss. Like, I'm supposed to be writing this book, but - heh heh heh - I'm writing a movie, secretly. I'm procrastinating, and in my…” quote by Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3af/miranda-july-1600_book_the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these_66025.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3af/miranda-july-1600_book_the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these_66025.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3af/miranda-july-1600_book_the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these_66025.jpg)

> “The whole thing of working in all these different mediums, it's just so that I can always be playing hooky from one of them. I can always be rebelling against my boss. Like, I'm supposed to be writing this book, but - heh heh heh - I'm writing a movie, secretly. I'm procrastinating, and in my off-hours I'm working on this movie that I'm not allowed to do, because I'm supposed to be writing a book!”

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker uses multiple creative mediums as a way to escape obligations and assert autonomy, turning procrastination into covert artistic production.

**In simple terms:** Creative multitasking as rebellion

Key Takeaway

Mediums become tools for defiance

Themes

creativity rebellion procrastination identity autonomy

Mood

defiant playful restless

Type

personal anecdote creative manifesto

When to use this quote

- author forced to write a book
- filmmaker working on a secret project
- artist juggling contracts
- creative professional feeling constrained

Key Concepts

self‑expression work‑life tension

Practical Applications

- leveraging side projects for personal fulfillment
- using alternative media to negotiate power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does switching mediums reshape your sense of agency?
- What risks arise when hidden work conflicts with formal duties?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing a book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-a-book/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm writing a movie script about vampires with an animator called Michael Booth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hardy/i-m-writing-a-movie-script-about-vampires-with-an-animator-called/)

[Jeremy Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hardy/)

> [As a storyteller, when you're writing a movie and when you're directing, you want to keep people entertained. That's the whole point, right? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fede-alvarez/as-a-storyteller-when-you-re-writing-a-movie-and-when-you-re/)

[Fede Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fede-alvarez/)

> [I didn't necessarily have a total idea when I was writing the movie of where everything was going. I just wanted to have really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/i-didn-t-necessarily-have-a-total-idea-when-i-was-writing-the-movie/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [I think it worked two ways. One, a lot of people writing about the movie used that as shorthand and it could either be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-burger/i-think-it-worked-two-ways-one-a-lot-of-people-writing-about-the/)

[Neil Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-burger/)

> [When you're in Los Angeles, everybody you meet is writing a movie, and they want you to be in it. Every cab driver is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sadler/when-you-re-in-los-angeles-everybody-you-meet-is-writing-a-movie-and/)

[William Sadler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sadler/)

> [ Yeah, the main goal when I'm writing \[movie scripts\] is to entertain myself. It's supposed to be funny, but then a funny idea can… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-dupieux/yeah-the-main-goal-when-i-m-writing-movie-scripts-is-to-entertain/)

[Quentin Dupieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-dupieux/)

> [When you're writing for a movie, you're trying to capture the emotion of a scene. I find it a fascinating process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/when-you-re-writing-for-a-movie-you-re-trying-to-capture-the-emotion/)

[Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/)

> [I'm a big collector of vinyl - I have a record room in my house - and I've always had a huge soundtrack album…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-m-a-big-collector-of-vinyl-i-have-a-record-room-in-my-house-and-i/)

[Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/)

> [I write plays instinctively. I don't like writing movie scripts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-write-plays-instinctively-i-don-t-like-writing-movie-scripts/)

[Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/)

> [I still tell people, 'I'm pretty sure I'm the only 'Star Wars' fan in history to ever break into Skywalker Ranch by writing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/i-still-tell-people-i-m-pretty-sure-i-m-the-only-star-wars-fan-in/)

[Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/)

> [I actually didn't believe the producers when they said, 'Joy, we're writing a movie about your life'. I was like, 'Oh, OK, fine, call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-mangano/i-actually-didn-t-believe-the-producers-when-they-said-joy-we-re/)

[Joy Mangano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-mangano/)

> [One of the things when you write, well the way I write, is that you are writing your scenario and there are different roads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/one-of-the-things-when-you-write-well-the-way-i-write-is-that-you-are/)

[Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/)

> [Traditionally, people have been adapting novels and short stories forever. Now, they're doing it simultaneously, with an eye towards writing the movie before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gordon/traditionally-people-have-been-adapting-novels-and-short-stories/)

[Howard Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gordon/)

> [Writing screenplays makes me a better musician because it clears my head. After writing a movie, I go running back to music as fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/writing-screenplays-makes-me-a-better-musician-because-it-clears-my/)

[Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/)

> [A novel is both a story and a piece of writing. A movie is a story and a piece of filmmaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zal-batmanglij/a-novel-is-both-a-story-and-a-piece-of-writing-a-movie-is-a-story-and/)

[Zal Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zal-batmanglij/)

## More by Miranda July

> [Would she understand that time had stopped while she was gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/would-she-understand-that-time-had-stopped-while-she-was-gone/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I like embracing kind of normal forms but am always trying to approach them as if no one's ever done that before. As if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-like-embracing-kind-of-normal-forms-but-am-always-trying-to/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [“It wasn't good, he wasn't good, he did not have good intentions. I stood there, and he stood there. He breathed out the bitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/it-wasn-t-good-he-wasn-t-good-he-did-not-have-good-intentions-i-stood/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [The thing I am most interested in is power relations - it is so easy in a relationship like that \[of an artist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/the-thing-i-am-most-interested-in-is-power-relations-it-is-so-easy-in/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [Are you angry? Punch a pillow. Was it satisfying? Not hardly. These days people are too angry for punching. What you might try is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/are-you-angry-punch-a-pillow-was-it-satisfying-not-hardly-these-days/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [It was a tiny sound but it woke me up because it was a human sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/it-was-a-tiny-sound-but-it-woke-me-up-because-it-was-a-human-sound/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I'm not a cinephile. My films don't reference films. I'm more interested in rhythm and feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-m-not-a-cinephile-my-films-don-t-reference-films-i-m-more/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [“We were anxious to begin our life as people who had no people. And it was easy to find an apartment because we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/we-were-anxious-to-begin-our-life-as-people-who-had-no-people-and-it/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I'm always the kind of friend or girlfriend who suggests, when there's some cataclysmic problem in the relationship, I'm like, "Well, maybe we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-m-always-the-kind-of-friend-or-girlfriend-who-suggests-when-there-s/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I wrestle my fears with every big decision I make. Ultimately, maybe all that wrestling does is make you sick of your own thoughts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-wrestle-my-fears-with-every-big-decision-i-make-ultimately-maybe/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [When I had a baby, I was consumed with my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/when-i-had-a-baby-i-was-consumed-with-my-body/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I'm quite a cerebral person. Often I feel quite stuck in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-m-quite-a-cerebral-person-often-i-feel-quite-stuck-in-that/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [Somewhat predictably, I'm much more comfortable in front of an audience - and a big audience is even better - than faced with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/somewhat-predictably-i-m-much-more-comfortable-in-front-of-an/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [We humans are here because nothing can be perfect. There always have to be some living things that are unsatisfied, itchy, trying too hard.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/we-humans-are-here-because-nothing-can-be-perfect-there-always-have/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I definitely wanted much more normalness than what was around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-definitely-wanted-much-more-normalness-than-what-was-around-me/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

[Explore all 223 Miranda July quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The whole thing of working in all these different mediums, it's just so that I can always be playing hooky from one of them. I can always be rebelling against my boss. Like, I'm supposed to be writing this book, but - heh heh heh - I'm writing a movie, secretly. I'm procrastinating, and in my off-hours I'm working on this movie that I'm not allowed to do, because I'm supposed to be writing a book!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Miranda July"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these-different-mediums-it-s-just/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these-different-mediums-it-s-just/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3af/miranda-july-1600_book_the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these_66025.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3af/miranda-july-1600_book_the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these_66025.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3af/miranda-july-1600_book_the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these_66025.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The whole thing of working in all these different mediums, it's just so that I can always be playing hooky…” — Miranda July",
                "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": "Miranda July",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The whole thing of working in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these-different-mediums-it-s-just/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/the-whole-thing-of-working-in-all-these-different-mediums-it-s-just/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
