Lee DeWyze Quotes

Right through to the end of the last World Cup game, I still couldn't bear the thought of not being perfect or letting people down.

A lot of times, in the beginning of my career, I put pressure on myself just because I wanted to perform so well. I just wanted to be perfect.

You feel pressure when other people's expectations are higher than your own.

I remember, playing in college especially, I cried in almost every game I played. I just felt so much stress and pressure that I was letting everyone down if I didn't score a goal or win the game. I carried that weight with me into every game.

If I wasn't so insecure about myself I wouldn't work as hard as I do. I am constantly seeking approval.

When I got Jacob's Latter, I was nervous because I felt I wasn't allowed to fail. I felt that they were waiting for one little failure and that would prove them right and I'd be, 'out of there.'

I'm in a complete state of panic before I begin something because I'm sure that it's going to be a complete disaster. I'm going to do a worse job than anybody could ever imagine anybody doing on the planet Earth.

I have a lot of what you might call creative self-loathing - I have pretty high expectations, and they seem to consistently be higher than what I'm able to accomplish.

It's pretty disabling sometimes, the terror of not living up. My expectations are the worst.

I've been judged my whole life. People always expected amazing things from me.

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 am never happy with what I do, so I try not to watch stuff that is filmed with me in it because I am always like, 'Oh, I could have done that a little bit better,' or, 'I could have done that differently - that riff could have been a little better.'

Auditioning is a horrible experience because you know you are being absolutely scrutinized and judged. There are days where you can do it and days where it's just not happening, and I feel like that's how it is with all artists; you have some days it kind of works.

I play with a fear of letting people down. That's what motivates me.

I always wanted to be a Broadway girl. But once I got Tony-nominated, it really messed with me, because it was like, yes, I'm getting this affirmation that you're right where you're supposed to be, but there was still this voice saying, 'You're not good enough.'

I used to feel unsafe right in the moment of an accomplishment - I felt the ground fall from under my feet because this could be the end. And even now, while everyone is celebrating, I'm on to the next thing. I don't want to get lost in this big cushion of success.

I've always had confidence issues; I just get scared of doing things wrong.

There are people who have really high expectations for what we're doing. I have to not think about that so that I can be free and play around every day and not feel like I have to get it right. You want to be loose.

I've learned how my own perfectionism can cripple me.

It seems like I'm one of those people that has the personality where, if I win an award, I wake up the next day, and I'm like 'Oh, but I didn't win this award though, or this didn't happen.'

I just don't want to fail, to be honest.

I do believe I'm not good enough to be a professional dancer. I believe that in my heart.

I can just remember what I have seen, and then I often think about how I do well throughout the match, and then, if I miss one chance, everyone talks about the miss. Only that.

I feel a bit scared at times as I feel if I am not convinced about the scene, the audiences won't be either, so I have to give my best.

Ever since I can remember, over-expectation and pressure have been my worst enemies.