Jennifer Yuh Nelson Quotes

The lifelong goal of an improviser is to listen to what the other person is saying, taking it in, and responding.

Collaborate, don't dictate.

I can be incredibly focused, and I can appear impatient. So I've learned to slow down, get to know people, and provide more context. There's nothing wrong with getting to the point pretty quickly, but it's also helpful to give people an opportunity to talk about their work.

I want to collaborate with different artists.

All of the artists that I've worked with have an incredible work ethic. And Madonna has the best work ethic of them all. I've learned a lot from being around her.

I just really enjoy the process of working with other talented, creative people. There's great power in bringing diverse points of view together. It can be incredibly stimulating.

Everybody's on their toes and focused on what we're about to do, and then there's this moment where you relax because you see that everybody is there to do the best that they can. Everyone opens up to one another right away. That's a terrific thing. I love that about actors. They know how personal this job is.

I definitely want to work with people who are artists and who are interested in being their best version of themselves.

When the work takes over, then the artist is enabled to get out of the way, not to interfere. When the work takes over, then the artist listens.

Part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians and poets and artists and zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world.

I'm one that likes to collaborate. I love feeding off the creative energy, and it only makes me better.

I get inspired by creativity, when people are together. You know what I mean, there's a certain synergy when people work together.

Small teams driven by their passion with a clear focus can do extraordinary things. Things that only large corporations and governments could do in the past.

I love collaboration of all kinds, and I love the way that collaboration pulls me into directions I wouldn't go in if I was working on my own.

The stereotype of a leader is one who talks and peps people up and things like that, but in actuality you have to listen to your teammates.

We've got unmatched talent, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, so when we work together, we can all benefit.

I need more and more silence, it feels. Poems don't leap into my mind when I'm distracted, turned outward, with other people, listening to music.

To hear, one must be silent.

Be collaborative. I've had some of my best experiences with directors who were able to sit down and have a conversation and ask me what I thought.

Listen to Everyone. Ideas come from everywhere

When I feel I'm going to write something, then I just am quiet and I try to listen. Then something comes through. And I do what I can in order not to tamper with it.

I'm really a big believer in working with people. It's challenging for me to come into already integrated brands and find a way where I can put my own flair on it.

For me it's a new experience every single time, because - The dance community has a great strength in synergizing immediately. So we recognize that opposed to being competition, which we are in the audition process, once we're on the job is about cohesion, it's about striving to highlight each individual in their own element, while also creating something that is visually tantalizing to the audience. While the ingredients of each movie has been different, the recipe for success is the same, which is to click immediately and make the best possible movie.

If I'm talking to a photographer, I'm talking to a stylist, I'm talking to a makeup artist, we're kind of creating and collaborating and making something that is artwork and is special and is different.

Collaboration sometimes causes conflict, and sometimes it's easy, but the bringing together of great minds only adds.