Andy Partridge Quotes

Welcome every talent, hail every invention, cherish every gem of art—foster every gleam of authorship, honor every acquirement and every natural gift, lift ourselves to the level of our destinies...

Drake and Kanye make me want to get better.

My mother sent me to art classes at the age of 11. I began to have kids around me say, 'Will you make drawings for me? Will you make a painting for me?' And it really clicked.

Becoming an artist is not empirical; it's not about hard work. You have to put the work in, but that doesn't mean you're going to make it.

People think once you get famous and rich you move out of the public sphere and you have nothing left to write about. I've heard that - Bruce Springsteen was this real street boy, now he's got this big house. How does that compute? If you don't look at the material side of someone's life, if you look at more the emotional side, there's always a wealth of stuff to write about.

I am not a born writer, but I was born a writer.

Success in the movies has pushed me to places I didn't know I was allowed to go.

I have no chips on my shoulder. I like to be constructive. As I have said, I have inspired many persons to take up photography. As a matter of fact, I inspire myself. (When I take a good picture I give myself a bonus.).

There’s a great expression in Twelve Step programs: Act as if. Act as if you’re a writer. Sit down and begin. Act as if you might just create something beautiful, and by beautiful I mean something authentic and universal. Don’t wait for anybody to tell you it’s okay. Take that shimmer and show us our humanity. That’s your job.

Peter had a genius for imitation; but he lacked true genius, which is creative and makes all from nothing.

All I know is that the six months when I recorded this music was the most productive time of my life, and I'll always remember it as the first time in my life that I ever felt like I was one with my dreams.

A lot of my inspiration comes from the movies and TV, watching other people doing things that I one day hope to have the opportunity to do. The other sides would be my friends and family, people who have supported me and always been there for me. I want to do a good job for them and show them they were right for believing in me.

You must have the devil in you to succeed in the arts.

The funny thing is, about the time I let go of any aspiration toward worldly success, that's about the time I started writing decent work.

Life and love inspire me. I think reinventing yourself is vital to your survival as an artist and a human being. I know it’s cliché to say about me at this point, but it’s true. My curiosity definitely is the driving force in my life and career. When you stop learning, engaging and growing, you’re dead.

Basketball came to me and for some reason it gave me an opportunity to live a life that I didn't dream possible. But it did let me live my dreams.

Ideas for work are coming to me in abundance...I'm going like a painting-locomotive.

Talent seduces us into interpretation. My sister could draw wonderfully, but she would never have hit upon the idea of becoming a painter. I never had that extreme talent.

Similarly the men who produce works of genius are not those who live in the most delicate atmosphere, whose conversation is most brilliant, or their culture broadest, but those who have had the power, ceasing in a moment to live only for themselves, to make use of their personality as of a mirror.

Never compete, create.

I would tell anyone, pick the person you love the most, the musician, the actor, public figure, whatever, and watch a bunch of their interviews and find ones where they talk about all the times they've failed, all the times they weren't good enough, and watch those on the regular. It's a very unique type of inspiration. It's almost like spiritual jumper cables for your inner drive.

Reading [Judd Apatow] book, about his background, I think there's a great similarity. What gives him the fire to work hard? He worked hard, researching the comedians of the time, what touched him about it.

The creative man with an insight into human nature, with the artistry to touch and move people, will succeed. Without them he will fail.

If a man walks in beauty, he will create, and when he creates, he prospers.

For years I said if I could only find a comfortable chair I would rival Mozart.