Welcome to our collection of inspiring quotes about making a living! Whether you’re pursuing your passion, navigating the corporate world, or venturing into entrepreneurship, the quest to earn a livelihood is a universal experience. From renowned entrepreneurs to literary figures, these quotes encapsulate the essence of what it means to carve out a living in today’s world.
Making a living is more than just a financial endeavor; it’s about finding purpose, creating value, and embracing the journey of self-discovery. Throughout history, individuals have shared wisdom and insight about the challenges and triumphs of sustaining oneself in various fields and circumstances. These quotes serve as reminders of the resilience, creativity, and determination required to thrive in the pursuit of livelihood.
An education is not so much about making a living as making a person. Tara Westover
The strength of British theatre should be that these actors in their middle years know what they’re doing and are good at it. Not rich, not famous, but making a living. Ian Mckellen
The only people who have control over their careers are the ones you see on the covers of magazines. Everyone else is just plodding along making a living. The key is not to live over your means and overdo it. Adam Baldwin
I love my job. I love waking up in the morning and doing this, and I want to continue making a living doing it. Adam Page
I am from a family of artists. Here I am, making a living in the arts. It has not been a rebellion. It’s as though I had taken over the family Esso station. Kurt Vonnegut
In YouTube’s early days, my band Pomplamoose was making a living by releasing videos on it, which drove iTunes sales. And because YouTube was small enough, our videos would bubble to the top and new fans could discover us. Jack Conte
I wanted to write a book about Hemingway’s Paris, but a professor beat me to it. I suddenly realized other people were making a living off all the things that have to do with my family background so I’ve got one good story to tell and I’m telling it. Jack Hemingway
I’m expressing myself by acting. I’m learning about myself and making a living. I hope to do much more of it, so I can contribute my share to the world. James Remar
There’s many times this year I’ve sat back and thought, I’m making a living from making things up. It’s the only skill I have so I’ve been really lucky. Colin Mochrie
It’s not easy making a living as a writer, and for many years I worked at a Waterstones in Dublin. It was a good environment for an aspiring writer, with lots of events and authors appearing. John Boyne
Growing up with Bronx Irish parents during an era of protests against the status quo, I was especially committed to doing the opposite of what I was told to do. Forty-four years later, I am left with only one means of making a living: comedy. Greg Fitzsimmons
Wrestling was my way of making a living. I did the very best I could. Bruno Sammartino
Why isn’t it natural for people who have lived and worked at something to want to use the knowledge and capacity in a new way, free from the burden of making a living? James Rouse
It’s an unusual situation for me to be working and making a living. Martha Plimpton
You know, I like playing music and playing guitar, and I like to draw, so I thought I would end up just probably barely making a living, or probably having to have some other job, but being involved in one of those things that I really like to do. But that didn’t work out like that. John Corbett
When we talk about chefs, we often talk about their love of food or their passion for it, but cooking is also about making a living; it’s a job. Alex Guarnaschelli
The person who does not know how to live while they are making a living is a poorer person after their wealth is won than when they started. Josiah Gilbert Holland
Poe was plagued and haunted most of all by something pretty banal: poverty. Probably the most eccentric decision in life was to become a writer in an age when making a living at it was nearly impossible. Matthew Pearl
Making a living out of acting sounded like science-fiction when I was growing up. I didn’t know anyone around me who lived from anything related to art. Penelope Cruz
My daughter recently reminded me not to get so busy making a living, I forget to make a life and I’m going to take that advice. Angie Stone
I modeled a little bit in Georgia growing up. I did catalogs and different things, but then when I came to L.A., I became a professional model. It sounds kind of crazy, but in L.A. was when I was able to start making a living from modeling. Melissa Ordway
One of the pleasures of getting older and making a living the way you want to is that your social circle becomes rarified, and the people who enter have been vetted. Adam Mansbach
The jingles saved my life. When I got hired to do that, I was on top. I finally was making a living doing what I loved. Before that, it was so bleak; it got so dark in L.A. I was 25, been living there for seven years trying to make it, and getting really close to getting signed with different bands and as a solo artist only to have my hopes dashed. Mark Foster
I do feel incredibly lucky to be making a living at things I love doing. Victoria Coren Mitchell
Making a living out of my real passion, which is Silat; that’s certainly a privilege for me. Iko Uwais
I never thought I’d be making a living off of acting – it’s still kind of a shock for my family and friends to see my face on TV every Wednesday night. Matthew Gray Gubler
As an actor, I have casting issues. I’m a minority. I don’t have trouble making a living, but as far as being on the food chain of the pecking order of actors, I’m not at the top of it. With the jobs that I do, there are always control issues with directors and producers. B. D. Wong
At first, teaching was more or less a straightforward way of making a living and having access to institutional resources while writing – aka libraries. And that was not inconsiderable. But it didn’t in any way touch the writing. Maybe it would push the writing aside sometimes, but mostly it was fine. Alexander Chee
You just suddenly think that there’s something quite childish about acting. Basically, it’s pretending, isn’t it? It’s good fun and I enjoy it, but it’s a funny way of making a living, particularly when you make a very good wage, as I’ve been fortunate enough to do. Kevin Whately
For a lot of young managers, especially those who have not played at the top end of the game, there is also a financial need to work. Some of them could find employment in another field, but you can’t beat making a living out of something you really enjoy doing. Neil Warnock
When I was 19 or 20 years old, I wasn’t making a living wrestling. I needed a full-time income. Adam Page
I am getting to travel all over the world doing what I love and making a living out of it. That is a huge blessing to me. Tessa Blanchard
Most of my stuff hasn’t gone viral. I have been successful on YouTube and I’m very proud of the stuff that I’ve done, but compared to the people who are actual internet stars and making a living off of it, my views are nothing. Rachel Bloom
No matter what went down, music was always going to be a part of my life. What ultimately happened is that, over a period of time, I just kind of looked around and when like, ‘Wow! I’m actually making a living doing this.’ Taj Mahal
I love the Country Music Hall of Fame. I don’t think it’s just a hall of fame and it’s not just a museum. It’s a schoolhouse. It’s a place where people from all across the world can come and learn about this great genre that we’re making a living out of. Josh Turner
Just as infinite access to free music ultimately leads to no one making a living at music anymore, free journalism just doesn’t pay for itself – particularly not when a search engine is serving all the ads. Douglas Rushkoff
My own personal goal is I just hope to still write songs and kind of let that sustain me as a job. If I could never have a 9-to-5 job, and making a living doing this, it’d just be incredible. Oliver Sim
Now almost every artist outside of New York is connected with some school or some museum school, and even in New York the majority are. That’s an interesting fact when you take the idea of making money, making a living selling paintings. Only a dozen or two painters do that. Ad Reinhardt
I moved to Chicago when I was 28, and I wasn’t completely idealistic about going to Second City and making a living from comedy, but I knew it would be great for the resume. Allison Tolman
Crime is a very hard genre to feminise. If you have a female protagonist she is going to be looking after her mum when she gets older; she is going to be worried about her brother and sister; she will be making a living while bringing up kids. Denise Mina
I used to play flute and clarinet at school, and although I wasn’t thinking about making a living or getting a pay cheque, I already knew I was going to play music all my life. Nile Rodgers
I don’t think of myself as an American Master. I’ve just been making a living. Bob Newhart
Sheet music, recording, radio, television, cassettes, CD burners, and file sharing have all invalidated, to some extent, the old model of making a living making music. Kent Beck
I can’t complain. I’m making a living out of what I do, which is really rare for a lot of actors. The hard part is staying confident and staying with it. Morena Baccarin
Work is about more than making a living, as vital as that is. It’s fundamental to human dignity, to our sense of self-worth as useful, independent, free people. William J. Clinton
I didn’t associate playing tennis with making a living until I was maybe 18 or 19. Johanna Konta
Work is making a living out of being bored. Karl Lagerfeld
In general in comedy, there are fewer people making a ton of money and a lot more people making a living. For me, the goal is just being able to make exactly the show I wanted to make. Nick Kroll
Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life. Denzel Washington
Making a living in the arts, though, creates so many jobs for other people. Maureen Forrester
There are musicians who want to make a living making music. There are listeners who want to listen to music. Complicating this relationship is a whole bunch of history: some of the music I want to listen to was made a while ago in a different economy. Some of the models of making a living making music are no longer valid but persist. Kent Beck
It doesn’t matter how big the shows are, as long as I’m making a living playing music. That’s all that matters to me. Lewis Capaldi
My parents were always doubtful about my making a living as an artist. Even when I was up for the Turner Prize, my mum suggested I apply for a curator’s job. Cornelia Parker
Don’t sweat it if you are stuck in the corporate job right now. But begin to plan ahead. I know from much personal experience that it takes 1-3 years to transition from total scratch to making a living from home in any career you want. James Altucher
I guess my critics say, ‘He must be crazy. Nothing can be that beautiful.’ But when you think that there are so many people around the world who have nothing, you realize how lucky you are to be making a living in the big leagues. Ernie Banks
I never put a premium on making a living. It was never one of those things that was important to me. David Lowery
If life were fair, Dan Quayle would be making a living asking ‘Do you want fries with that?’ John Cleese
In my mid 30’s, after a decade or so of giving full time to the music thing and finding myself with about $10 in the bank and no assets other than my musical equipment, I realized I needed to get serious about making a living. Mark Edwards
I was having a nice anonymous little time as a writer. I really was on the writer path. I was sort of minding my own business. I loved making a living in music. LP
I’ve always made a clear distinction between making a life and making a living. Robert Fulghum
It’s like, if I had the luxury of choice, and didn’t have to worry about making a living, I would definitely want to get into whatever field it was that allowed me to push further and further comedically. Because that’s the joy of it. Mitchell Hurwitz
When I was in New York, I was making a living. We had a summer house and a car that I could put in a garage. That’s something for a stage actor. William H. Macy
I’m one of those lucky guys making a living out of something I really enjoy doing. That’s a blessing. But you never know. What if my subsequent book series flops? I don’t come from a wealthy background, so I’d be left with no choice. I’d have to go back into banking! Amish Tripathi
Our everyday cares, making a living, the crazy rat race of life, often make us forget the value of a good deed. Thus, the goodness that exists within each and every one of us is covered with layer upon layer of indifference and unawareness. In fact, we almost have to be reminded of the fact that goodness is there inside us. Shari Arison
To survive on the independents when I was making a living off of it, you had to do a Thursday show, a Friday show and Saturday and Sunday shows. You had to do at least four shows a week. Eddie Kingston
I just have to focus on what I can do and keep making a living and keeping my name up there as the best pound-for-pound fighter. Terence Crawford
I remember, after graduating high school, I got a part in a play with the Washington Shakespeare Festival – a little part. But I remember thinking this would be a great way of making a living… to be an actor. I never really thought I’d make a lot of money at it. Daniel Stern
Before I became a writer, I was running a jazz bar in the center of Tokyo, which means that I worked in filthy air all the time late into the night. I was very excited when I started making a living out of my writing, and I decided, ‘I will live in nothing but an absolutely healthy way.’ Haruki Murakami
Playing live and making a living from music was always the only goal. Lewis Capaldi
The economics favour one-man comedy shows: all you need is one person, a microphone and a PA system. But I’m pleased so many people are making a living out of comedy – it’s a wonderful business to be in. Paul Merton
My first summer at a repertory theater, I was making $20 a week. I was making a living, as far as I was concerned, and I was doing theater. And next season, I made $40 a week. But I don’t think anyone in my family would have considered that making a living. David Morse
Obama and the liberal Democrats fail to represent the silent majority: the conservative women who are too busy raising families, paying bills, and making a living. These women prefer to listen to Rush Limbaugh, not Nancy Pelosi, and want their children to have jobs and a bright future in this great country. Mercedes Schlapp
On one hand, it seems strange that a country that has suffered so much from violence and war would be debating if they want peace or not. But in Colombia, a part of society is deeply connected with the war as a means of making a living. Ingrid Betancourt
My mum never once tried to push me into something different, even though there was no way of making a living out of women’s football. She supported me because she saw I was happy and that it gave me a focus to not be hanging around on the street. Alex Scott
I would live all my life in nonchalance and insouciance, Were it not for making a living, which is rather a nouciance. Ogden Nash
I am interested in art as a means of living a life; not as a means of making a living. Robert Henri
We can make black lives matter in the labor movement by building the kinds of movements that black women need to shape a new economy and a new democracy that don’t force them to choose between making a living and being a part of a healthy democracy. Alicia Garza
It’s a tough business. To my parents or to their friends, I was not a success, but to me I was a huge success. I was having a blast. I was working on shows I loved, I was working with actors I loved, and I was making a living as an actor. And I loved every second of it. Christina Hendricks
Creating music based on art and giving away from your spirit is more important than making a living. Arturo O’Farrill
Somebody’s always getting me to come lecture to their writing class, and I don’t talk about writing at all, I talk about the business of making a living at this racket. Jerry Pournelle
I’m used to the fact that the world views movie actors as personalities. I’m in the extremely fortunate position of making a living at something I’m passionate about. It’s all about choices. By the nature of what I do, I make a choice. I invite them in. Benjamin Bratt
My motivation is to keep fighting, to keep putting food on my family’s table, keep making a living off of boxing. That’s my motivation. Chris Arreola
At this stage, my chief professional goal is simply to keep on writing and making a living at it. Fred Saberhagen
In all honesty, I’m super happy to be where I am, doing what I’m doing and making a living doing what I love to do. Eli Drake
I’m from a working-class family. We didn’t have a lot, but we had the arts. You’re talking to a guy who is making a living at doing what he loves doing – acting, singing and dancing. So any career ups and downs were not that significant to me; the only things that really powerfully impinged on me were my losses, and there were many in my life. John Travolta
As far as making a living, if plumbing earned more, I’d probably do it. At least you can leave the job at home once the tools are put away. A writer works in his mind 24/7. James McBride
Right now, at the age of 22, I’m making a living off of this and I’m building, not only just my brand, but I’m also building myself bell-to-bell. I’m building myself when that red light’s on and I want to keep doing it. Maxwell Jacob Friedman
I have been writing since I was about 20, and at first I wrote in secret and never showed anybody. I was very concerned about making a living, so I conducted. David Friedman
Well, we’re in show business, and I have been making a living in this business a long time and inevitably it means taking what it is that you’ve done and hopefully you’re showing it to a lot of people who like it. Walter Hill
Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life. John Wooden
Doing something you enjoy at times of your own choosing and making a living from it: now tell me, is that work? Tom Hodgkinson
Mindfulness is natural when you do not need to think about minor daily problems like making a living! Om Malik
Through all of this lovely interviewing, and nice things people say, and the rest of it, I have learned that I am an actor. That is my profession. That is my job. That is how I make a living. So I am just out there making a living. Melissa Leo