David Alan Grier Quotes

You can't stop an artist from expressing his views through art.

I'm not a politician; I'm lucky to be a filmmaker and to be able to express myself through the films I make.

It's a waste to not say anything with art.

When no one knows you, and you're just trying to break into stuff, it's so good because you can write whatever you want and just say it; it's just between you and the audience. There's no process or worrying about anyone else interfering with what you're doing.

It is the glory and good of Art, That Art remains the one way possible Of speaking truth, to mouths like mine at least.

What I voice, I voice though my art, if that's not too vainglorious a word. But I don't think it is.

But if you have a point of view and you're an artist or a writer, it's kind of crazy to not take advantage of that, especially if you can do something that's entertaining as well. I've done a number of things like that over the years.

The most important thing for me as an artist is having an identity.

When you talk or write or film, you work with the music inside you, the music that formed you. Different generations have different musics in them, so whatever they do, it's going to come out differently, and it will speak in beats of their own generation.

Why do we make records? Because we want to say something. Why are you in art? Because you want to say something. The second you don't have anything to say, you stop making art - you might start making product. And I'm interested in being an artist.

I'm in this whole flow of doing certain art pieces without commerce.

Rock n' roll is the music where you can get away with pretty much saying everything, and it's OK. You can say truths in really interesting and good ways and really express yourself through it.

The interesting part about being an artist is that the ways in which you express yourself are not always readily available.

Painting, like passion, is a living voice, which, when I hear it, I must let it speak, unfettered.

I believe that if you're an artist, it's like a gift. If you can do this for a living and you can be involved in it, it's something that you can't ignore. It's the chance for you to have a voice and create something from yourself.

It is, of course, a luxury to create art and, on top of this, to insist on expressing one's own artistic opinion. Nothing is more luxurious than this. It is a game and a good game, at least for me; one of the few games which make life, difficult and depressing as it is sometimes, a little more interesting.

Wasn't the whole point of being an artist, or at least part of it, that you didn't have to wear a tie?

I can't think of anything more rewarding than being able to express yourself to others through painting. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative; these things, to me, are truly the windows to your soul.

It's really liberating and fun to be writing stuff for myself, and really have the freedom to say what I want to say and not really have to think about what somebody else is going to say or have to edit myself to speak from someone else's vision.

Be the artist you were born to be.

It is my misfortune - and probably my delight - to use things as my passions tell me. What a miserable fate for a painter who adores blondes to have to stop himself putting them into a picture because they don't go with the basket of fruit! . . . I put all the things I like into my pictures. The things - so much the worse for them. They just have to put up with it.

I'm able to do my television projects and movie projects that I really want to explore. For me, it's not about the money, it's not about the fame. I love creating.

What I have to say is all in the music. If I want to say anything, I write a song.

Art is about freedom of expression, and should not be molded to fit any propaganda or lofty ideal.

I place my fingers upon these keys typing 2,000 dreams per minute and naked of spirit dance forth my cosmic vortex upon this crucifix called language.