--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never had any idea that what I like…" description: "\"I've never had any idea that what I like would resonate with the audience, and I'm pleasantly surprised when it does.\" — Tom Petty" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-petty-2030_audience_i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like_2283188.png" --- # I've never had any idea that what I like would resonate… ![“I've never had any idea that what I like would resonate with the audience, and I'm pleasantly surprised when it does.” quote by Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-petty-2030_audience_i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like_2283188.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-petty-2030_audience_i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like_2283188.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-petty-2030_audience_i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like_2283188.png) > “I've never had any idea that what I like would resonate with the audience, and I'm pleasantly surprised when it does.” [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists often doubt audience appeal, but surprise comes when work resonates. **In simple terms:** Artists fear audience reaction; success can be surprising. Key Takeaway Embrace creation despite uncertainty. Themes creativity audience self‑doubt Mood inspirational optimistic Type musical motivational When to use this quote - songwriting - live performance - marketing campaigns Key Concepts authenticity feedback loops confidence Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your creative confidence? - How do you handle unexpected reception? A Different Perspective Audience taste can shift, making success unpredictable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audience Pleasantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-pleasantly-5336803/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Pleasantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasantly/) [Pleasantly Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasantly-surprised-1854143/) [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) [Surprised Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised-does-5336804/) ## Related quotes > [I think the audience will be pleasantly surprised to see what I have attempted with 'Dolly Ki Doli.' I am confident that this movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arbaaz-khan/i-think-the-audience-will-be-pleasantly-surprised-to-see-what-i-have/) [Arbaaz Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arbaaz-khan/) > [I maintain that I never expect anything, therefore Im always pleasantly surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lianne-la-havas/i-maintain-that-i-never-expect-anything-therefore-im-always/) [Lianne La Havas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lianne-la-havas/) > [I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than fatally disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-d-rather-be-pleasantly-surprised-than-fatally-disappointed/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [“I'd rather be a pessimist because then I can only be pleasantly surprised.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-franklin/i-d-rather-be-a-pessimist-because-then-i-can-only-be-pleasantly/) [Ben Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-franklin/) > [I maintain that I never expect anything, therefore I'm always pleasantly surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lianne-la-havas/i-maintain-that-i-never-expect-anything-therefore-i-m-always/) [Lianne La Havas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lianne-la-havas/) > [There's so much nonsense tossed around about L.A. and how horrible it is and 'don't go out there' and all that stuff. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-radnor/there-s-so-much-nonsense-tossed-around-about-l-a-and-how-horrible-it/) [Josh Radnor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-radnor/) > [“expect nothing, be pleasantly surprised.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-pon/expect-nothing-be-pleasantly-surprised/) [cindy pon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-pon/) > [Our thoughts about an event can have a dramatic effect on how we go through the event itself. When our expectations are low, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/our-thoughts-about-an-event-can-have-a-dramatic-effect-on-how-we-go/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [“Oh, it won’t be as bad as I’m expecting,” he said. “That’s my trick. If I imagine the absolute worst, I can’t help but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/oh-it-won-t-be-as-bad-as-i-m-expecting-he-said-that-s-my-trick-if-i/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I don't look backwards. I'm pleasantly surprised, and I feel really proud of the team and what we were able to accomplish together. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-fadell/i-don-t-look-backwards-i-m-pleasantly-surprised-and-i-feel-really/) [Tony Fadell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-fadell/) > [Someone said adversity builds character, but someone else said adversity reveals character. I'm pleasantly surprised with my resilience. I persevere, and not just blindly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-shields/someone-said-adversity-builds-character-but-someone-else-said/) [Brooke Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-shields/) > [I hope that comes to me pleasantly surprised and out me from the sea of Foodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yns/i-hope-that-comes-to-me-pleasantly-surprised-and-out-me-from-the-sea/) [Yns-#](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yns/) > [I've been sort of pleasantly surprised, by the extent to which a lot of people in D.C. are honestly just trying to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/i-ve-been-sort-of-pleasantly-surprised-by-the-extent-to-which-a-lot/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [I was pleasantly surprised after the book came out. It was like, hey, the home team put down a nice score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocco-dispirito/i-was-pleasantly-surprised-after-the-book-came-out-it-was-like-hey/) [Rocco DiSpirito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocco-dispirito/) > [And I don't say that we didn't expect it, but we were pleasantly surprised to see the generosity of their foreign policy; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianni-agnelli/and-i-don-t-say-that-we-didn-t-expect-it-but-we-were-pleasantly/) [Gianni Agnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianni-agnelli/) ## More by Tom Petty > [Where the sky begins, the horizon ends, despite the best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/where-the-sky-begins-the-horizon-ends-despite-the-best-intentions/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [As time goes by, you seem to weed out the things that were making your life hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/as-time-goes-by-you-seem-to-weed-out-the-things-that-were-making-your/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I would never put my songs in a commercial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-would-never-put-my-songs-in-a-commercial/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Take back your insurance, baby, nothing is guaranteed. Take back your acid rain, let your TV bleed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/take-back-your-insurance-baby-nothing-is-guaranteed-take-back-your/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [The great thing about the Wilburys was that none of us had to take the heat by ourselves. I was just a member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/the-great-thing-about-the-wilburys-was-that-none-of-us-had-to-take/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I don't believe in censorship, but I do believe that an artist has to take some moral responsibility for what he or she is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-don-t-believe-in-censorship-but-i-do-believe-that-an-artist-has-to/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Any time you're making a living at what you love to do, you're blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/any-time-you-re-making-a-living-at-what-you-love-to-do-you-re-blessed/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [A rebel without a clue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/a-rebel-without-a-clue/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [If you look around at America, that's one of its biggest problems is you have corporations that can never be pleased at a profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-look-around-at-america-that-s-one-of-its-biggest-problems-is/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Even the losers get lucky sometimes. Even the losers keep a little bit of pride. They get lucky sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/even-the-losers-get-lucky-sometimes-even-the-losers-keep-a-little-bit/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale, about a time when everything wasn't up for sale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tell-you-all-a-tale-about-a-time/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Buy me a drink, sing me a song; take me as I come, cause I can't stay long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/buy-me-a-drink-sing-me-a-song-take-me-as-i-come-cause-i-can-t-stay/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I never could have dreamed that her heart was so wicked, but I keep coming back because it's so hard to kick it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-never-could-have-dreamed-that-her-heart-was-so-wicked-but-i-keep/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [She's a good girl, crazy about Elvis, loves horses, and her boyfriend, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/she-s-a-good-girl-crazy-about-elvis-loves-horses-and-her-boyfriend-too/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I'm more interested in what I'm going to leave behind me than in making a big hit record. I've refined what I do for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-m-more-interested-in-what-i-m-going-to-leave-behind-me-than-in/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) [Explore all 190 Tom Petty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never had any idea that what I like would resonate with the audience, and I'm pleasantly surprised when it does.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Petty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like-would-resonate-with-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like-would-resonate-with-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-petty-2030_audience_i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like_2283188.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-petty-2030_audience_i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like_2283188.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/tom-petty-2030_audience_i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like_2283188.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've never had any idea that what I like would resonate with the audience, and I'm pleasantly surprised when…” — Tom Petty", "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": "Tom Petty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've never had any idea that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like-would-resonate-with-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-ve-never-had-any-idea-that-what-i-like-would-resonate-with-the/#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 } } ] } ```