When I first became interested in photography, I thought it was the whole cheese. My idea was to have it recognized as one of the fine arts. Today I don't give a hoot in hell about that. The mission of photography is to explain man to man and each man to himself.
‐‐ Edward Steichen
When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an 'issue-by-issue' basis - they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse in the circus as I sat on a leather sofa.
‐‐ Steve-O
When I first became recognizable from appearing on television, I abused my notoriety as much as I possibly could, at the expense of both my health and personal relationships.
‐‐ Steve-O
When I first began choreographing, I never thought of it as choreography but as expressing feelings. Though every piece is different, they are all trying to get at certain things that are difficult to put into words. In the work, everything belongs to everything else - the music, the set, the movement and whatever is said.
‐‐ Pina Bausch
When I first began doing TV pilots, my expectations were high. I didn't understand that world. So when 'Weeds' took off, I was so happy. Especially as I was just a guest star in the pilot. But once it got picked up, they made me a regular cast member.
‐‐ Kevin Nealon
When I first began modeling, I was very conventional looking. I had hair down to my waist in a side parting - almost church-like. But beneath the sheath of hair lay this Amazonian, strong-looking frame.
‐‐ Erin O'Connor
When I first began, the technicians, camera and makeup men made me feel so self-conscious that I began to have the biggest inferiority complex about my looks.
‐‐ Jessie Matthews
When I first began to combine letters other than Hebrew, I read every book in German that came my way, and from these I certainly received according to the nature of my soul.
‐‐ Shmuel Yosef Agnon
When I first began to have the initial idea for 'Heartsease,' I just wrote a skeleton story; that is, I started her off as this young, bright 16-year-old and then added the events that occurred and where she and other characters fitted in, even writing 3 different endings, as I was not sure where Mary's story would lead to.
‐‐ Ann Turner
When I first began to learn to sing... I would get off on nearly every line and did not know it. I have learned to know when I am off.
‐‐ Heber J. Grant
When I first began to learn to sing, it took me from three to four months to learn two simple hymns.
‐‐ Heber J. Grant
When I first began to write, I was writing on bass, because I was thinking more Public Image, more dub.
‐‐ Gavin Rossdale
When I first began visiting West Germany in the early 1980s, I was startled by the contrast between Birmingham, where I went to school, and affluent Cologne. My host family, the lovely Schumachers, always had an opulent array of grapes on the table; they were better dressed than anyone I knew in Britain.
‐‐ Luke Harding
When I first began writing, and I told people what I wrote, I'd get a blank stare and sometimes a 'Huh?' They weren't sure what young adult literature was. Now everyone knows.
‐‐ Mary E. Pearson
When I first broke into the acting industry, I taught spinning classes to support myself.
‐‐ Stephen Amell
When I first broke through, there was only NBC, CBS and ABC, and they had news in the morning and in the evening - there wasn't no 24-hour news.
‐‐ Dick Gregory
When I first came along in the business, they didn't really like the idea of my name being Raquel.
‐‐ Raquel Welch
When I first came back from Iraq, I of course found myself thinking a lot about it. Not just my experiences, but those of people I talked to, friends, and colleagues.
‐‐ Phil Klay
When I first came down stairs, for two or three minutes I went down cellar to the water closet.
‐‐ Lizzie Andrew Borden
When I first came here, Hollywood was very closed-minded.
‐‐ Tia Carrere
When I first came in the business, I had a couple of close calls on planes going to London for shows. There was one time where the plane had to fly around until a storm ended, and then we started having a question about fuel, so we had to go through the storm. It was the worst thing that ever happened in my life. That really messed me up.
‐‐ R. Kelly
When I first came in the league, I thought Jack Clark and Steve Garvey were big. Then all of sudden it seemed like everyone was that big.
‐‐ John Kruk
When I first came into baseball, people didn't want to hear that a team was a business. But it is. And the better the business is run, the healthier the team on the field is going to be.
‐‐ Billy Beane
When I first came into money, I bought six or seven homes. One weekend I went to Miami and bought an apartment and a mansion several blocks from each other, which was not that bright!
‐‐ Daymond John
When I first came into parliament, there was, on average, a by-election every three months - due not to MPs bailing out, but because of the death rate.
‐‐ David Blunkett
When I first came into the business, I had to, for the sake of being able to sell myself as an artist, always be happy and jovial and smiling. I was the happy nice girl, and I am the happy nice girl, but I have my moments, too.
‐‐ Kelly Price
When I first came out, like a lot of the artists at that time, I had a very polished, very overproduced sound.
‐‐ Taylor Dayne
When I first came out there was no such thing as Twitter or Facebook. And the blogs! Like, what is that?
‐‐ Christina Aguilera
When I first came out to L.A., Hollywood's idea of a Latina was Mexican. It was almost like they had never seen or heard of an Afro-Latina before.
‐‐ Lauren Velez
When I first came out with my fans and the wind hit me, I almost took off.
‐‐ Sally Rand
When I first came over to the States, I started writing, I think, as a way to help myself learn English. I would start stapling together little booklets for myself.
‐‐ Marie Lu
When I first came to America, you know, I would look at the newsstands and see the women on the magazine covers. I had never seen anyone smile the way these girls smile! It's like they have nothing to worry about!
‐‐ Anchee Min
When I first came to California, it was fun and exciting to get any part in any movie and get paid for it. Because of my size and my background, it seemed like I was right for just about anything.
‐‐ Kevin Peter Hall
When I first came to college, it was a time that I was trying to figure out, 'Who am I? What makes me special?' and I started to find most of my value in the fact that I was thin.
‐‐ Lindsey Stirling
When I first came to Congress, the party was supposed to help you. Now, when a new member is sworn in, he or she is told what their dues are - how much they are expected to raise for the party for the next election. It's worse in the Senate. It turns the whole place into a money machine.
‐‐ Jim Cooper
When I first came to do shows in Vegas, I followed the usual entertainer's syndrome - I played craps and lost.
‐‐ Gabe Kaplan
When I first came to Guangzhou in 1981, it seemed such a hard and dour place with everyone in Chairman Mao uniforms.
‐‐ Zaha Hadid
When I first came to Hollywood, I could not break into movies.
‐‐ Fionnula Flanagan
When I first came to Hollywood, I played about as many guys who save the day and get the girl as I played heavies. It's just that heavies are more interesting and last in people's minds.
‐‐ Powers Boothe
When I first came to Hollywood, I used to dream of doing films and escaping television.
‐‐ Billy Campbell
When I first came to Hollywood I was told to go out with an agent because it was good for my career. So I went to a party with him because it was good for my 'career.' Well, he thought the whole thing was a big date. Needless to say, I was very upset.
‐‐ Salma Hayek
When I first came to Hollywood, the blacklist was just starting, and they were having hearings in Washington. What most people don't know is the judge of these hearings himself was later convicted of misappropriation. 'Spartacus' helped break the blacklist, because Spartacus was a real character.
‐‐ Kirk Douglas
When I first came to L.A., I worked at the Magic Castle, and it was so much fun. But the best part of magic for me these days is not having to do it for a living. It's being able to pull a trick out when people least expect it, when they don't know that you do magic.
‐‐ Steve Valentine
When I first came to London, I loved hanging around in cafes, smoking, scribbling, dreaming. It was life-affirming and fun.
‐‐ Peter Capaldi
When I first came to Los Angeles, I was a teacher in Compton. I know how in need schools are around the country.
‐‐ Kym Whitley
When I first came to Nashville, people hardly gave country music any respect. We lived in old cars and dirty hotels, and we ate when we could.
‐‐ Loretta Lynn
When I first came to NBC, I thought it was going to be swimming with the sharks, all men for themselves, be careful and all that. I have to tell you I learned that you can be kind and a hard worker and move up. You don't have to play dirty or do things that you think happens at big corporations.
‐‐ Hoda Kotb
When I first came to New York City in 1967, I joined up with Richard Schechner's Performance Group - where we worked in the Performing Garage in SoHo.
‐‐ Spalding Gray
When I first came to New York City, what I was thrilled about was not the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty; it was the fireplugs in the street. These things that Jack Kirby had drawn. Or these cylindrical water towers on top of buildings that Steve Ditko's 'Spider-Man' fights used to happen in and around.
‐‐ Dave Gibbons
When I first came to New York I was a dancer, and a French record label offered me a recording contract and I had to go to Paris to do it. So I went there and that's how I really got into the music business. But I didn't like what I was doing when I got there, so I left, and I never did a record there.
‐‐ Madonna Ciccone
When I first came to New York, I was so bored. My friends were like, 'Do a blog. It's the hip thing to do for male models.'
‐‐ River Viiperi
When I first came to New York, I would scream like a girl and run to the other side of the street if there was a pigeon. Now I can face off with a pigeon.
‐‐ John Searles