Mahmoud Darwish Quotes

Artists to my mind are the real architects of change, and not the political legislators who implement change after the fact.

I really do believe that art changes the landscape of the world.

Auden said poetry makes nothing happen. But I wonder if the opposite could be true. It could make something happen.

Of late years (perhaps as a result of our political changes) art has borrowed from history more than ever.

There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence.

I believe in music because it has the power of change.

I believe in the sacred mission of art to change history.

Art is not a mirror to reflect the world, but a hammer with which to shape it

Art, it is said, is not a mirror, but a hammer: it does not reflect, it shapes.

Art cannot change the world, but it can contribute to changing the consciousness and drives of the men and women who could change the world.

As you grow older you realize that art has an enormous effect. It's frightening sometimes to think of the effect that we can have.

The artist has tremendous power to change the world.

Music has given a voice to many generations, and I think we, as artists, can be a part of creating a better world.

It is the artists of the world, the feelers and the thinkers who will ultimately save us; who can articulate, educate, defy, insist, sing and shout the big dreams.

I believe in the relation between photography and music; And thats my inspiration.

I believe that art has incredible power.

Art moves. Hence its civilizing power.

The arts can bring the heart to the aid of the head, the personal to the political.

What most of us must be involved in--whether we teach or write, make films, write films, direct films, play music, act, whatever we do--has to not only make people feel good and inspired and at one with other people around them, but also has to educate a new generation to do this very modest thing: change the world.

The Beatles defined their own sense of values and honor. They took stances without ever being politically correct. And they did it all with incredible humor... I honestly think that there are certain things in life that help people understand themselves. I think the Beatles are one of those things. They resonate the journey of true selfhood, really.

Burmese authors and artists can play the role that artists everywhere play. They help to mold the outlook of a society - not the whole outlook and they are not the only ones to mold the outlook of society, but they have an important role to play there. And I think if they take up this role seriously and link it to the kind of changes were wish to bring about in our country they could be a tremendous help.

The Beatles meant everything to me growing up, and John was part of that. I loved Lennon's persona. He knew who he was and he knew what he represented to a worldwide public... I think he incited and inspired a whole group of youth to speak out and say what they felt.

My favourite stuff is visual, and I always want to work with visual artwork. I think it depends on the person, but for me, photographs of an image of something interesting or inspiring is worth a lot more than words to me. I think every concept I've come up with and turned into films or that will be hopefully become a film comes from images first.

I think art can really serve to inspire a movement - and, of course, it has in the past. The Civil Rights movement wouldn't have the same resonance without the songs from everyone from Pete Seeger to Odetta to James Brown.

Musicians have the power to influence people and along with movie makers, they can reach and influence more people than any group of people, more than scientists and certainly more than politicians.