Bruce Nauman Quotes

If you're a writer, you're constantly doubting yourself.

I'm the most indecisive person in the world. I'll do three versions of a song, then think, "Is the demo better?"

I'm not one for sitting around listening to my own music, because I tend to cringe and think that I could have done better. I also suffer from red light syndrome quite a lot. I tend to narrow my thinking when the red light goes on to record. Instead of just relaxing and playing and emoting, I think of time being wasted so I won't take a chance on something. Consequently, when I hear it back, I think, "Why the hell did I play it so safe on that piece of music when I could have really opened up?" Well, it's because of not wanting to make a mistake.

I second-guess and overthink and rethink every single thing that I do.

I'm always thinking 'Don't mess this up.'

I cannot watch my own dailies, ever. I'm my worst critic. It distracts me. I can watch it when it's done, but I'm not the girl that wants to run back and look at the performance.

It's kind of a rule of thumb for me to self-doubt going into any kind of project. I always think that I shouldn't be doing it and I don't know how to do it and I'm going to fail and that I fooled them. I always try to find a way out.

I tend to overthink things. I'm not the guy who screams 'This is a world smash!' when I finish a song.

Every word I write I suspect the next day.

You just can't spend any time second-guessing yourself.

The truth of the matter is, I worry about nearly every bit I've ever done. I'm very critical of myself.

The fear of mistakes is the fast track to irrelevance.

Anxiety and doubt are among my biggest struggles as a writer.

Everybody doubts themselves. Every writer doubts themselves, every artist doubts himself, and every football player does.

I am always in self-doubt... every moment of my filmmaking. I am supremely confident when the story is being written and everything is in our head. But the moment we get into the filmmaking, I start doubting myself - from the camera angle to the re-recording to getting the actors to do their shots.

I've often hesitated in beginning a project because I've thought, 'It'll never turn out to be even remotely like the good idea I have as I start.' I could just 'feel' how good it could be. but I decided that, for the present, I would create the best way I know how and accept the ambiguities.

If anyone on the verge of action should judge himself according to the outcome, he would never begin.

I'm scared of making the biggest mistake of my life. I'm just trying to figure out what the mistake is.

I've always hated rejection; I only want to go out there when I know I've got it right.

I think every writer doubts themselves, every day. You procrastinate because you're afraid. You're always afraid it's not going to be as good as you want it to be. But, the key is overcoming fear.

I've never been super confident about anything. The work is never as good as it could be.

I used to play works in progress to people, but now I wait 'til it's finished, because you make excuses all the time: 'Well, there's gonna be an orchestra on it.' Rather than make excuses, wait 'til it's finished, and then they can say they don't like it.

Everybody faces a blank piece of paper, no matter what they've written or painted or composed before. I can't imagine approaching every single new project with-without doubt.

He who considers too much will perform little.

Perfectionism kills art. I find that if I criticise myself, it spoils the fun. You can get paralysed by analysis - it takes all the playfulness away.