David Shields Quotes

I think I've been lucky enough not to have to do movie after movie after movie for financial reasons, so I've been able to live life and also make movies. I didn't have to grind them out. I could go long periods where I was living life rather than tripping over cables.

My life goal is to find a nice balance between working for money and working for fulfillment.

I want to pay my mortgage and go on vacation, so I love working. I want to be able to do independent projects as well, and being on a successful TV show allows you to do some other things.

I get to do interesting roles and make a living.

I don't live to work; I work to live.

No matter how much money I made from writing, I'd keep the bookstore job.

Don't ever let economic alone determine your career or how you spend the majority of your time.

Work for the fun of it, and the money will arrive some day.

There's a part of me that wants to be known and make a comfortable living but still be able to go grocery shopping. My overall idea of success is having people I want to work with want to work with me.

I hope I'm in a position to make stuff that I really want to make as opposed to stuff that I just have to make for money reasons, or to sustain a certain marquee value.

I wouldn't think a blues album would be that commercially successful, but I don't really care. I'd do it for the love of blues, not for the money. I've got plenty of money.

My business doesn't keep me warm at night.

Work to me has become kind of a hobby. I was a part of something that gave me financial independence and the rent is paid. Now it's just about projects that turn me on.

The best piece of advice I ever got from anyone was when Spike Jonze said, 'Take money out of the equation.' And that's actually when Vice started making lots of money. That's when I stopped worrying about money and started worrying about what I wanted to do.

Do something you really like, and hopefully it pays the rent. As far as I'm concerned, that's success.

I never wanted to take a job because I needed money, and I never have.

I love doing TV. It's so great for my world as a mom, as someone who likes to have a steady job and go to work feeling secure because I'm with a family.

Quite honestly, as long as I am working, can enjoy what I do, get on with it, and put bread on the table, I am really happy.

I'm calculated in other things, but not in what I make.

It's a great game, and it's done great things for me and my family, but the bottom line is when I'm done, I want to be able to walk away and be everything I need to be for my family.

If I end up having a novel that sells really well and that allows me to pay for health insurance and mortgage without having to work at a day job, that would be great.

I'm just doing all type of music that I like. I'm not so worried about the money like I used to be. I got money now. I don't have to worry about that.

My hope is that I hit it big with something, and then I'll have enough of a cushion to carve out time to write a book. That would be my passion project.

I did 75 films. I didn't take a break; I didn't spend my money. I have my savings, so when you're not working for money anymore, then you should find things that are meaningful and not just be like, 'OK, that's another day gone.'

The happiest I ever been was when I was a struggling actor. I've had big houses and small houses. I always had work available for most of my career. When I actually had to find jobs to make money, that's when I was happy.