Quote Of The Day By Matt Damon: 'Make Stuff That You Can Be Proud Of...'

When it comes to beloved and critically acclaimed actors, perhaps no one fits the description better than Matt Damon. He was born in 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Damon attended Harvard and majored in English but eventually dropped out to pursue acting full time. It took a few films to get his foothold in the industry, but by the 2000s he became a household name, for series such as the "Ocean's Eleven" and "The Bourne Identity" films, and "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

Although he's mostly known as an actor, Damon has also done excellent work as a writer. In fact, he won the Oscar for best original screenplay, alongside his BFF since childhood Ben Affleck, in 1997 for the film "Good Will Hunting" (which they starred in as well). Because of this and his overall experience in film and television, it's reasonable to think Damon has some pretty good advice when it comes to deciding what to do with your ideas. And that's why Matt Damon is today's quote of the day.

"Make stuff that you can be proud of, that you can kind of look back and say, 'Yeah, that was an amazing experience, I learned a lot. I took a big swing, you know?'" said Matt Damon in an interview with IGN. The interview was part of press activities for the 2005 film "The Brothers Grimm" and was a joint interview with the film's leads, Damon and Heath Ledger. Damon's quote serves as a reminder to never be too afraid to take risks on creative projects.

This quote may seem like it's just another version of "YOLO" or "You only live once," but Matt Damon was likely calling for a more measured approach, given the context of the movie "The Brothers Grimm." Specifically, he was talking about the "ebb and flow" of the entertainment industry, where there will be times where actors don't have as many offers or as much work. But Damon believed that while you were having success, you shouldn't let the opportunities to take creative risks pass you by, "Because it's gonna go away anyway."

That is to say, Damon's quote is about having a balanced approach to work and not being so afraid of failure that you "make really safe, boring choices." This can also apply to life in general. The idea is to recognize that there is an end to everything, so while you should meet any necessary obligations, you should also leverage that stability into riskier pursuits at some point too. That way, when you inevitably get to the end (whether that's the end of a project, movie, or career path), you can be satisfied that you tried to also reach for more, and maybe you achieved more than you dreamed you could.

• "I knew since I was twelve that I was going to be an actor."
• "I really worked hard on this ['Primal Fear'] audition, and Edward Norton got it. He was terrific in the movie, [but] that was when Ben [Affleck] and I went, 'Well, we gotta just write this thing. That's the only way we're going to get good roles.'"
• "It wasn't self-doubt, it was frustration at the system because the system is not built for you to succeed. ... You have to break through it."
• "If you just sit on your hands it's never gonna happen, [it's] just too competitive."
• "Nothing gets given to you, and you have to struggle for everything, and I think those struggles really do define who you are, and it's really important."