Quentin Blake On Becoming An Illustrator

What does “work out” mean in English (not exercise)?

Quentin Blake, the British illustrator, gave himself a deadline: if his art career wasn’t working out by age 30, he’d go back to teaching. He got so busy that he passed 30 without even noticing. “Work out” here means to succeed — when things go the way you hoped. It has nothing to do with exercise.

The interviewer asks Blake: “When did you realize that it was going to work out for you as a career?” Blake explains that after getting a book published in 1960, he decided: “I’ll try and keep on with this until I’m 30. And if it’s not working out, then I’ll go back to teaching.” He was so busy that “I passed 30 I didn’t notice.” When something “works out,” it succeeds or ends well — often after a time when you’re not sure what will happen. You can use it for plans, jobs, or relationships. Common patterns: “It all worked out in the end.” / “Things didn’t work out as expected.” / “I hope it works out for you.” The negative form — “it didn’t work out” — is just as common as the positive.