James Ivory Quotes

You do the work and you want people to see it; but, um while I'm doing the work, the result doesn't matter at all to me. Ultimately, I don't, I don't care whether the film is - you know - some big giant box-office bonanza and I don't care if its a complete flop. To me, when a film gets made and it's actually finished it's a success. They're all a success in their own way.

I write a lot of songs people don't hear. I really just enjoy the process. I finish 'em all. I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between the bad ones and the good ones.

We all take from our artistic endeavors what we as individuals need, to make the process unique and fulfilling to ourselves.

It's hard for me to judge my own films as an artist sometimes. But as an artist, I did feel a fulfillment working on them, you know?

I'll go on making films until I make one that pleases me from the first to the last frame. Then I'll quit.

I think I have made just one picture that I really like.

If you do a scene the right way, you can go home at the end of the day and really feel like you accomplished something.

I like the feeling of making things. It's very very rewarding. And filmmaking is that type of experience, where you're forced to collaborate with so many people. You're involved in the beginning to end, you're involved with so many elements, and when it's done, you're like, 'I made this movie.'

When I finish a picture I don't show it to anyone if I feel it's not good enough yet. I've learnt to listen to my partners and my friends. For me it's the biggest success if they like it.

It's still difficult for me to watch my work.

I just mean it's very difficult for me to watch my work, in some ways, because I am critical of what I didn't get across or I thought I was making one point.

To finish a song is the best feeling in the world.

You feel yourself working to show something. I've learned to distrust that feeling.

I don't know many artists who are happy with themselves all of the time.

So, once I've written a song, you know, I'm pretty happy with what the song is on its own terms.

The issue I had with the Lightspeed albums was that usually the main purpose with them was to fulfil really dorky musical goals, like, 'I wonder if I can do that,' and it was all very personal. It was more that once I'd finished the goal of what the song was, I was kind of done. It was like ticking boxes.

I never come away from a film thinking I nailed it.

I've had so much success. I had something to say, I got to say it, people heard it, and they agreed. That's every artist's dream. That's the brass ring.

I have no conceit as a writer; in fact, I find it very difficult to start writing about sculpture generally & my aims in particular.

I made some very forgettable films, but I liked them all when I was doing them.

Some people get turned on by my work, and it sells, but what drives me is the process of making it.

When a film does well, everyone is usually happy and grateful, but for me, the impression the film leaves upon my mind is created during the process of filming; my memories are not a reflection of critics' reviews and box office figures.

As a creative, as an artist, I'm just excited when people want my stuff, and want to experience it.

I just really feel so grateful to Sundance because I've always been an artist and I've never been able to make a living at being an artist until Sundance.

Domesticity is the enemy of art. I don't know if that's true. You can write good happy songs. So, I don't think it's necessarily happiness. But I think self-satisfaction is maybe the enemy. It's kind of better to think, "Tomorrow night I'm gonna sing it better." There is this forward effort. It feels to me right, it feels human.