--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had basically been shelved by the…" description: "\"I had basically been shelved by the record label for two years and I was writing songs every day. I made two albums that just never came out, and that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/nina-nesbitt-7517_confidence_i-had-basically-been-shelved-by-the-reco_3089563.jpg" --- # I had basically been shelved by the record label for two… ![“I had basically been shelved by the record label for two years and I was writing songs every day. I made two albums that just never came out, and that was just a really big knock to my confidence, because everything I sent seemed like it just wasn't good enough.” quote by Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/nina-nesbitt-7517_confidence_i-had-basically-been-shelved-by-the-reco_3089563.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/nina-nesbitt-7517_confidence_i-had-basically-been-shelved-by-the-reco_3089563.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/nina-nesbitt-7517_confidence_i-had-basically-been-shelved-by-the-reco_3089563.jpg) > “I had basically been shelved by the record label for two years and I was writing songs every day. I made two albums that just never came out, and that was just a really big knock to my confidence, because everything I sent seemed like it just wasn't good enough.” [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Repeated rejection erodes confidence, yet persistent creation sustains artistic drive. **In simple terms:** Rejection hurts, but keep creating. Key Takeaway Keep writing despite setbacks. Themes confidence creativity resilience Mood frustrated determined Type personal motivational When to use this quote - record label negotiations - daily songwriting - album production - mental health support Key Concepts self‑doubt artistic identity Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure progress when success is delayed? - What rituals keep you motivated? A Different Perspective Confidence can falter without external validation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basically Shelved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basically-shelved-5305616/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Label Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/label-years-757478/) [Record label](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-label/) [Shelved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shelved-1657064/) [Shelved Record](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shelved-record-5305615/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [Writing songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-songs/) ## Related quotes > [My experience with being on a record label over the years has been when both of your agendas are in sync, and they're the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/my-experience-with-being-on-a-record-label-over-the-years-has-been/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [Back in the day, if someone at the record label didn't care or like your music, it never got to the public. It just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/back-in-the-day-if-someone-at-the-record-label-didn-t-care-or-like/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [I was initially signed to a German label a few years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-autumn/i-was-initially-signed-to-a-german-label-a-few-years-ago/) [Emilie Autumn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-autumn/) > [I usually license my stuff to a label. Make the album, license it to a big label and get it back after four years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waite/i-usually-license-my-stuff-to-a-label-make-the-album-license-it-to-a/) [John Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waite/) > [It became a question of do I want to be on a label where it could take three years to put out a record…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-sweet/it-became-a-question-of-do-i-want-to-be-on-a-label-where-it-could/) [Matthew Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-sweet/) > [Any kind of idea of fame - that has been shelved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-jordison/any-kind-of-idea-of-fame-that-has-been-shelved/) [Joey Jordison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-jordison/) > [Kalki Koechlin and I were suppose to do a film together but it got shelved due to lack of funds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konkona-sen-sharma/kalki-koechlin-and-i-were-suppose-to-do-a-film-together-but-it-got/) [Konkona Sen Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konkona-sen-sharma/) > [“It doesn't matter what you are capable of. If you can't execute, you are no better than a shelved book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nauman-faridi/it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-are-capable-of-if-you-can-t-execute-you/) [Nauman Faridi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nauman-faridi/) > [I was doing a couple of films which got shelved a week before the shooting was supposed to start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saqib-saleem/i-was-doing-a-couple-of-films-which-got-shelved-a-week-before-the/) [Saqib Saleem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saqib-saleem/) > [As an actor, I don't want to talk too much about my future films because this industry is such that even after half a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suniel-shetty/as-an-actor-i-don-t-want-to-talk-too-much-about-my-future-films/) [Suniel Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suniel-shetty/) > [The makers of 'Ushakaal' said that if I don't do the film they would shelve the project. I didn't want a good subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sayaji-shinde/the-makers-of-ushakaal-said-that-if-i-don-t-do-the-film-they-would/) [Sayaji Shinde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sayaji-shinde/) > [Nothing makes me happier than writing a song that I think is good or that I want to play. Writing songs helps me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/nothing-makes-me-happier-than-writing-a-song-that-i-think-is-good-or/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [So what comes naturally to me is writing lyrics and writing songs and telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/so-what-comes-naturally-to-me-is-writing-lyrics-and-writing-songs-and/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [I've been an educator all my life pretty much. It's important as a manager and also as a record label, to educate your artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-knowles/i-ve-been-an-educator-all-my-life-pretty-much-it-s-important-as-a/) [Mathew Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-knowles/) > [I'm lucky enough to exist in 2018, where I have a record label that's like, 'Write whatever you want to write.' I don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troye-sivan/i-m-lucky-enough-to-exist-in-2018-where-i-have-a-record-label-that-s/) [Troye Sivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troye-sivan/) ## More by Nina Nesbitt > [But I think as you grow up, you realise that actually, if you want to dress sexy there's nothing wrong with that - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/but-i-think-as-you-grow-up-you-realise-that-actually-if-you-want-to/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [Stay Out' is about all the stereotypes of people you meet out and about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/stay-out-is-about-all-the-stereotypes-of-people-you-meet-out-and-about/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [So what comes naturally to me is writing lyrics and writing songs and telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/so-what-comes-naturally-to-me-is-writing-lyrics-and-writing-songs-and/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [Working with other artists and writers over the past couple years has really given me a clear idea of my strengths and weaknesses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/working-with-other-artists-and-writers-over-the-past-couple-years-has/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [I think you really have to know what you want if you want to be an artist. Otherwise, you just kind of end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/i-think-you-really-have-to-know-what-you-want-if-you-want-to-be-an/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [My tenth-ever gig was in an arena, which is mad... I remember being backstage with multiple artists there and someone had had their teeth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/my-tenth-ever-gig-was-in-an-arena-which-is-mad-i-remember-being/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [I took two years out to find what sound I felt passionate about and what I liked making. After the last album, 'Peroxide', which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/i-took-two-years-out-to-find-what-sound-i-felt-passionate-about-and/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [Well, there's this culture on Instagram where everyone uses filters and lighting, or people smooth their skin out. It's this weird thing. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/well-there-s-this-culture-on-instagram-where-everyone-uses-filters/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [I think when I started my first album, I was 17 or 18, so I guess I was basically a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/i-think-when-i-started-my-first-album-i-was-17-or-18-so-i-guess-i-was/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [I don't think I am pretty. I think I'm quite strange-looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/i-don-t-think-i-am-pretty-i-think-i-m-quite-strange-looking/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [I absolutely love collaborating with other people, but I think it's so important to always be able to rely on yourself because there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/i-absolutely-love-collaborating-with-other-people-but-i-think-it-s-so/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [If people really like your music but you're not selling so many records, I don't think it really matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/if-people-really-like-your-music-but-you-re-not-selling-so-many/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [Peroxide' is a mix of everything I have experienced from the age of 15 until now with themes of break ups, first love, growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/peroxide-is-a-mix-of-everything-i-have-experienced-from-the-age-of-15/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [I live in a neighborhood that's very family-oriented, so I feel like everyone else is sleeping and I'm sitting up, making music. It's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/i-live-in-a-neighborhood-that-s-very-family-oriented-so-i-feel-like/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [I couldn't get gigs because you need to be 18 in most venues. So I started doing videos. I wasn't thinking about getting a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/i-couldn-t-get-gigs-because-you-need-to-be-18-in-most-venues-so-i/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) [Explore all 90 Nina Nesbitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) ## More Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had basically been shelved by the record label for two years and I was writing songs every day. 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