J. Michael Straczynski Quotes

I have very high standards for every part of life - my work, my relationships, food, love. I can't just pretend.

Unless I can do myself justice and play well, I'm not going to play.

I criticize my own work pretty harshly.

Everything I put my name to and take part in, I want to be good. That's not saying it will always happen. But I want to make bold choices.

I will not do work that isn't done well or right. Stuff happens - things break, contractors don't come through - but I don't want to be responsible for not doing something correctly.

I used to get in trouble with my old agent, because I've never been driven by fear or need or greed. I want my work to represent me as a person, so I can be quite fussy.

My concern is to continue respecting my work as I've done since I began as an actor and I could only do that if I'm strong enough to keep on doing what I think best in an artistic way.

I will not write a lame follow-up. It could take me 20 years. But I will never turn in a book that I'm not happy with.

I'm a perfectionist. I'm not going to cheat the people.

On the other hand, I'm very tolerant as well. I expect that everybody can play what they want. I'm only not tolerant when it comes to myself and what is presented on my album that I have to listen to for the rest of my life.

I realized the only thing I owed my audience was my own judgment and my own best effort.

I will always be my hardest critic. Nobody else will ever be able to come at something I do harder than I come at myself.

I always grade myself hard.

I don't like doing substandard work... I can't sleep at night if I make a bad song.

With my own stuff, I've always held to the belief that it should take as long as it takes until it feels right.

If you have self-respect, you will take satisfaction in being well groomed and will not allow yourself to perform shabbily. You will continue to work toward high standards and goals to serve others, to continue and to practice self-discipline. You will not compromise your standards or beliefs.

I am my own worst critic and I am hell to pay so I just have to do everything to my utmost ability.

I demand more of myself than anyone else could ever expect.

Even though I don't feel I need approval, it's still important to me to give a good performance. I'm hard on myself.

I wanted this, I wanted to do this, but my work is me, and it has to be right.

Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.

It's a big challenge for me to keep my integrity and some of my privacy intact.

The kind of young woman who can be a terrific torchbearer has high standards all the time, not just in her prom dress, but every, ordinary day.

I know I'm a good professional, I know that no one's harder on me than myself and that's never going to change, under any circumstances.

I want to be judged harshly because that forces me to really sit down and focus.