Julian Barnes Quotes

But in another world, another life, probably growing up in another country, I might have been more of a dancer.

All I wanted was to connect my moods with those of Paris. Beauty paints and when it painted most, I shot.

The more I've gotten interested in writing about history and making sense of myself within the continuum of history, the more I've turned to paintings, to art. I look to the imagery of art to help me understand something about my own place in the world.

When I do my collection, it is in a way my own story.

The whole point in developing your own style is to find your own voice.

Every bit of me is devoted to love and art. And I aspire to try to be a teacher to my young fans who feel just like I felt when I was younger. I just felt like a freak. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm trying to liberate them, I want to free them of their fears and make them feel that they can make their own space in the world.

The reason I put make-up on or wear the costume is to try and find my own style. It's like my guitar style - I'm just trying to be an original artist.

Having grown up in Bombay, from the day you're born, you have absolute freedom to choose who you want to be.

If I had gone to drama school, I wouldn't be sitting here now because it would have blanded me out; it would have just turned me into another actor.

I'm starting to find my own style.

I know now that most people are so closely concerned with themselves that they are not aware of their own individuality, I can see myself, and it has helped me to say what I want to say in paint.

When I was in school, I really thought about soul a lot. I was listening a lot to Bjork and to the Commodores. I really wanted to know how they felt. And especially with Bjork, the music there told me wow, that's really her soul there.

I'll never be August Wilson - but what I can be is more of myself.

My work is intensely personal.

I kinda like the idea of having an album that's all me.

I found music because I felt different.

Cry Baby is very close to my heart. I feel like I am her in a lot of ways. I want to continue making music from her perspective.

I don't feel I have to be Jackson Browne. Still, I like to say something.

As a working artist, I became increasingly aware of the patterns we see in the street and in America, becoming globalized in terms of pop culture and global and social outlook.

My music is a whole reflection of who I'm as an individual.

The people that have inspired me the most were dancers and choreographers. Even growing up, if I dealt with any pressure to be a certain way, I knew that as an artistic lane, dancing was the one that was a little more freed up - like, no one in my family is really doing that; I can be that person.

I've retreated to what I was originally, which is an individual songwriter.

Makeup and fashion are a very blatant way of expressing who you are because it's the first thing people see. With music, it's more personal, where people really are trying to get into your head and learn about who you are.

I grew up in a deeply Catholic home. Our parents always encouraged us to march to our own drums, though, so some of us are still Catholic and some are not. That's always going to be a part of me though; little bits of it trickle into my work. Whether it's an embrace or a rejection, I'm not always sure, but I can't avoid it.

Once I accepted music was my path, I rebelled by wanting to do it my own way. I also didn't think it was respectful to my father's career and creativity to assume that I could jump on the back of all he had worked his entire life for.