--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was my fear, which is why when I was…" description: "\"That was my fear, which is why when I was took over a book, I was always trying to tweak it a little bit so that it looked like I was trying to add som..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/todd-mcfarlane-18090_add_that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was_1961218.jpg" --- # That was my fear, which is why when I was took over a… ![“That was my fear, which is why when I was took over a book, I was always trying to tweak it a little bit so that it looked like I was trying to add something instead of keeping the status quo.” quote by Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/todd-mcfarlane-18090_add_that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was_1961218.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/todd-mcfarlane-18090_add_that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was_1961218.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/todd-mcfarlane-18090_add_that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was_1961218.jpg) > “That was my fear, which is why when I was took over a book, I was always trying to tweak it a little bit so that it looked like I was trying to add something instead of keeping the status quo.” [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) ## 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 fears being seen as merely preserving existing work, so they constantly modify projects to appear innovative. **In simple terms:** Fear of stagnation leads to over‑editing. Key Takeaway Embrace change without over‑tweaking. Themes creativity innovation self‑image authenticity Mood anxious reflective Type advice personal When to use this quote - writing - comic publishing - personal branding Key Concepts impostor syndrome creative anxiety Questions to Reflect On - Do you edit to impress or improve? - When does tweaking become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can dilute original vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Status](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status/) [Status quo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status-quo/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [ When you hire somebody, you shouldn't have to tell them \[a lot of what\] to do; you hire them because you like their work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scoot-mcnairy/when-you-hire-somebody-you-shouldn-t-have-to-tell-them-a-lot-of-what/) [Scoot McNairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scoot-mcnairy/) > [“He shook his head again. “I’m afraid I don’t feel much of anything these days. Especially not hope. I have no time or energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-strnad/he-shook-his-head-again-i-m-afraid-i-don-t-feel-much-of-anything/) Josh Strnad > [“. . . he had learned in his years of tracking Indians that things which seemed impossible often weren't. They only became so if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/he-had-learned-in-his-years-of-tracking-indians-that-things-which/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [“But as the reality of their vulnerability tore through them, doubt and fear took root, casting long shadows over their once unshakable faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-soreyne/but-as-the-reality-of-their-vulnerability-tore-through-them-doubt-and/) Layla Soreyne > [“He didn’t know how one’s flesh prickled when fear took hold. He didn’t understand what it was like to gaze into the future and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/he-didn-t-know-how-one-s-flesh-prickled-when-fear-took-hold-he-didn-t/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) > [“One of the special teams turned sadistic in Kandahar and took out a village. The organization reacted swiftly by shutting down the program and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-skaggs/one-of-the-special-teams-turned-sadistic-in-kandahar-and-took-out-a/) [Cindy Skaggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-skaggs/) > [“some quality time with a good book. Trying to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mallery/some-quality-time-with-a-good-book-trying-to/) [Susan Mallery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mallery/) > [Half the time I pick up a book, that's what I'm trying to get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/half-the-time-i-pick-up-a-book-that-s-what-i-m-trying-to-get/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I don't necessarily read everything. 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"A good reader starts to see what an entire book is trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-acampora/it-s-not-enough-to-know-what-all-the-words-mean-he-continued-a-good/) [Paul Acampora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-acampora/) > [“As regards any specific book, I'm trying primarily to tell a story, in the most effective way I can think of, the most moving,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/as-regards-any-specific-book-i-m-trying-primarily-to-tell-a-story-in/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [With each book, I'm trying to do something that terrifies me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/with-each-book-i-m-trying-to-do-something-that-terrifies-me/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) ## More by Todd McFarlane > [Once again your mind explodes with a searing pain. A floodgate of memories bursts wide. Yet it is her face that keeps haunting you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/once-again-your-mind-explodes-with-a-searing-pain-a-floodgate-of/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [If your motives aren't clean, money itself becomes evil. But When we don't have money enough evil, the world tells us we're losers. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/if-your-motives-aren-t-clean-money-itself-becomes-evil-but-when-we/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [Given that I have to share my computer with my three children, it's not usually a site that I get to spend that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/given-that-i-have-to-share-my-computer-with-my-three-children-it-s/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [Here is a fear for me, I never wanted to be one of those guys that was defined by a body of work 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/here-is-a-fear-for-me-i-never-wanted-to-be-one-of-those-guys-that-was/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [That became a big time in comic books because it's when people were starting to break out into independent stuff, the market was getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/that-became-a-big-time-in-comic-books-because-it-s-when-people-were/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [I don't belong. Not here. Not now. I have to get back there. The bet was rigged, he made me believe. Now there's darkness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/i-don-t-belong-not-here-not-now-i-have-to-get-back-there-the-bet-was/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [Image has to be its own fortress, in spite of the owners. People can't separate that or they don't comprehend that you can turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/image-has-to-be-its-own-fortress-in-spite-of-the-owners-people-can-t/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [To me, I was always just standing on the sidelines because up until issue 50, we were just doing Spawn. I wasn't recruiting anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/to-me-i-was-always-just-standing-on-the-sidelines-because-up-until/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [Anthology shows as a whole scare people. The networks can't quite get their heads around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/anthology-shows-as-a-whole-scare-people-the-networks-can-t-quite-get/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [Ive been fortunate to come on places where the question isnt why did I do it? The question to me is always, why didnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/ive-been-fortunate-to-come-on-places-where-the-question-isnt-why-did/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [If I ever do anything, it actually might be some fantasy elf thing or even some cute, funny thing. Just to do something a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/if-i-ever-do-anything-it-actually-might-be-some-fantasy-elf-thing-or/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [I'm tired of trying to get other people to see into my brain. I'm done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/i-m-tired-of-trying-to-get-other-people-to-see-into-my-brain-i-m-done/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [ About 85 percent of what you see is just because I get on the phone and \[say\], 'Let's go do this'. I don't do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/about-85-percent-of-what-you-see-is-just-because-i-get-on-the-phone/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [The attempt is that we want to get a couple of minutes under our belt, depending on how good the tests are and take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/the-attempt-is-that-we-want-to-get-a-couple-of-minutes-under-our-belt/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) > [“This is an odd one. You have one country in the world where a word has a deeper meaning, it can really mess with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/this-is-an-odd-one-you-have-one-country-in-the-world-where-a-word-has/) [Todd McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) [Explore all 35 Todd McFarlane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/) ## More Add quotes > [Most marriages don't add two people together. 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Once they get outside their own heads and their own communities and see themselves in a broader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-calvin/global-is-a-unifying-bond-for-people-once-they-get-outside-their-own/) [Kathy Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-calvin/) Browse all 2,710 Add quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That was my fear, which is why when I was took over a book, I was always trying to tweak it a little bit so that it looked like I was trying to add something instead of keeping the status quo.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Todd McFarlane" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was-took-over-a-book-i-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Add" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was-took-over-a-book-i-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/todd-mcfarlane-18090_add_that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was_1961218.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/todd-mcfarlane-18090_add_that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was_1961218.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e0/todd-mcfarlane-18090_add_that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was_1961218.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That was my fear, which is why when I was took over a book, I was always trying to tweak it a little bit so…” — Todd McFarlane", "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": "Todd McFarlane", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-mcfarlane/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That was my fear, which is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was-took-over-a-book-i-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-mcfarlane/that-was-my-fear-which-is-why-when-i-was-took-over-a-book-i-was/#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 } } ] } ```