--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never had a job. I bought my first…" description: "\"I never had a job. I bought my first house within a year of getting out of school, and I built a custom one four and a half years later. The Art Center..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/richard-macdonald-24701_art_i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-hous_1177680.jpg" --- # I never had a job. I bought my first house within a year… ![“I never had a job. I bought my first house within a year of getting out of school, and I built a custom one four and a half years later. The Art Center didn't teach much about business, but I learned a lot from the Fortune 500 companies that were my clients.” quote by Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/richard-macdonald-24701_art_i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-hous_1177680.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/richard-macdonald-24701_art_i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-hous_1177680.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/richard-macdonald-24701_art_i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-hous_1177680.jpg) > “I never had a job. I bought my first house within a year of getting out of school, and I built a custom one four and a half years later. The Art Center didn't teach much about business, but I learned a lot from the Fortune 500 companies that were my clients.” [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success can come without formal training; learning from clients and real‑world experience is valuable. **In simple terms:** Learning on the job can lead to success. Key Takeaway Seek mentorship and practical experience over formal education. Themes entrepreneurship self‑education real‑world learning career paths business acumen client relationships Mood optimistic pragmatic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - startup founding - client projects - self‑directed learning - industry conferences Key Concepts experiential learning networking industry insight Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance practical experience with theory? - What mentors can fill knowledge gaps? A Different Perspective Lack of formal training may limit theoretical knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-center-2753958/) [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-learned-417455/) [Clients](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clients/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Didn Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-teach-317063/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Job Bought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-bought-3440334/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Teach Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-business-1013867/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I feel like art has been at the center of change since the beginning of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-jauregui/i-feel-like-art-has-been-at-the-center-of-change-since-the-beginning/) [Lauren Jauregui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-jauregui/) > [I have always loved the Barnsdall Art Center and the Hollyhock House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-ingber/i-have-always-loved-the-barnsdall-art-center-and-the-hollyhock-house/) [Mandy Ingber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-ingber/) > [I believe we have to put art back at the center of everyday life rather than allowing it to become a specialist activity at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/i-believe-we-have-to-put-art-back-at-the-center-of-everyday-life/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [I went to business school so what they teach you in business school was that success is about positioning yourself to get lucky. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-turner-smith/i-went-to-business-school-so-what-they-teach-you-in-business-school/) [Jodie Turner-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-turner-smith/) > [The way most people approach business - and the way they mostly teach in business school - involves the analytical mind. It divides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/the-way-most-people-approach-business-and-the-way-they-mostly-teach/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [Theater schools teach you how to act, but they don't teach you anything about the business, so I got to New York, had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-maya-darke/theater-schools-teach-you-how-to-act-but-they-don-t-teach-you/) [Erin Maya Darke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-maya-darke/) > [“Stealing the Corner Office: The Winning Career Strategies They'll Never Teach You in Business School.” Author Brendan Reid”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stealing-the-corner-office-the-winning-career-strategies-they-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Working in the hotel business I have learned a lot about people. It’s amazing what you can discover about someone by watching them when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/working-in-the-hotel-business-i-have-learned-a-lot-about-people-it-s/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I went to a woman for advice about how to be in business, but I learned a great deal from men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-principal/i-went-to-a-woman-for-advice-about-how-to-be-in-business-but-i/) [Victoria Principal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-principal/) > [Ludacris is a very smart individual. He's about his business. Everything is business with him. So I learned a lot about making deals from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ludacris-is-a-very-smart-individual-he-s-about-his-business/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was recruited by Pepsi and put out in Pittsburgh, and I worked in the bottling lines, and then I was sent on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sculley/i-was-recruited-by-pepsi-and-put-out-in-pittsburgh-and-i-worked-in/) [John Sculley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sculley/) > [My dad was in the life insurance business, so I learned about selling when I was about 14 because I started working as a secretary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/my-dad-was-in-the-life-insurance-business-so-i-learned-about-selling/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Every single thing I learned about marketing and building my business, I learned from my mom, and she had never been in the workforce.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/every-single-thing-i-learned-about-marketing-and-building-my-business/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [I only know one thing: Everything I learned about the banking business, I learned in the banking towers of the Societe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/i-only-know-one-thing-everything-i-learned-about-the-banking-business/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [Dad taught me everything I know. Unfortunately, he didn't teach me everything he knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-unser/dad-taught-me-everything-i-know-unfortunately-he-didn-t-teach-me/) [Al Unser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-unser/) ## More by Richard MacDonald > [I do everything. Of course, I have 50 people who work for me to do the drudgery of mold making and all the foundry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-do-everything-of-course-i-have-50-people-who-work-for-me-to-do-the/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [You have to make thousands and thousands of drawings before an illustration is perfected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/you-have-to-make-thousands-and-thousands-of-drawings-before-an/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [Sculpture will last a lot longer than painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/sculpture-will-last-a-lot-longer-than-painting/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [These guys are just flying through the air and I'm capturing them in the split second and putting it into a work of art,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/these-guys-are-just-flying-through-the-air-and-i-m-capturing-them-in/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [I'm always looking for the next challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-m-always-looking-for-the-next-challenge/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [I'm a classically trained painter, and I was an illustrator in New York working with Fortune 500s companies as well as the NBA and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-m-a-classically-trained-painter-and-i-was-an-illustrator-in-new/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [I create for artistic intent only and do everything from life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-create-for-artistic-intent-only-and-do-everything-from-life/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [At any one time, I'll have 30 to 40 pieces going on in the studio, so this is not economically driven at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/at-any-one-time-i-ll-have-30-to-40-pieces-going-on-in-the-studio-so/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [My goal is to make fine art, and fine art comes from the soul. If you have virtuosity and facility, you can take and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/my-goal-is-to-make-fine-art-and-fine-art-comes-from-the-soul-if-you/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [Charity work is very important to me and gives me an opportunity to give back to my community. I've always been a big supporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/charity-work-is-very-important-to-me-and-gives-me-an-opportunity-to/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [China is important to the world in that they are a force and on the move. Exposing them to figurative art opens up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/china-is-important-to-the-world-in-that-they-are-a-force-and-on-the/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [There is a connection between me and the collectors, and as admirers of the work they tell me about the differences the pieces are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/there-is-a-connection-between-me-and-the-collectors-and-as-admirers/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [There are very few people who do what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/there-are-very-few-people-who-do-what-i-do/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [I've had over a dozen models come in and pose fro me live for these new Cirque pieces. Cirque is a world-wide phenomenon and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-ve-had-over-a-dozen-models-come-in-and-pose-fro-me-live-for-these/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) > [I don't do commissions and I like the freedom to create what my heart or mind tells me to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-don-t-do-commissions-and-i-like-the-freedom-to-create-what-my-heart/) [Richard MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) [Explore all 24 Richard MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never had a job. I bought my first house within a year of getting out of school, and I built a custom one four and a half years later. The Art Center didn't teach much about business, but I learned a lot from the Fortune 500 companies that were my clients.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard MacDonald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-house-within-a-year-of-getting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-house-within-a-year-of-getting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/richard-macdonald-24701_art_i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-hous_1177680.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/richard-macdonald-24701_art_i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-hous_1177680.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/richard-macdonald-24701_art_i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-hous_1177680.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never had a job. I bought my first house within a year of getting out of school, and I built a custom one…” — Richard MacDonald", "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": "Richard MacDonald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-macdonald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I never had a job. I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-house-within-a-year-of-getting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-macdonald/i-never-had-a-job-i-bought-my-first-house-within-a-year-of-getting/#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 } } ] } ```