John Hawkes Quotes

I do not do a remix without crediting the original makers. For me, that is what is most important.

My concepts are never bright ideas; they're never notions I think will sell or be trendy or attract new fans. I don't think that way. All I can do is sing from my life.

Imitation, if it is not forgery, is a fine thing. It stems from a generous impulse, and a realistic sense of what can and cannot be done.

Don't imitate. Write what you know about, that has to be your goal.

About the most originality that any writer can hope to achieve honestly is to steal with good judgment.

When I was coming up, we weren't trying to get a hit or get paid, we were just trying to do our thing. The only thing we were really trying to do was to be recognized for our originality.

I think the key for any kind of artist - and this transcends music - is a certain degree of authenticity and sincerity.

This goes for our songwriting as well as our success as a band - the minute we stopped chasing what we thought people wanted to hear and started writing things that moved us, that's when people started paying attention.

I've seen a lot of people stealing from what I do. Some people show love and say thank you and tell me how I was an inspired for them.

I am quite certain in my heart of hearts that modern music and modern art is not a conspiracy, but is a form of truth and integrity for those who practise it honestly, decently and with all their being.

My act is based on my life.

I try to be very honest in my writing. It's amazing, though, to think that people are responding to what we do, but it's okay if they're responding in a positive way too, because I think just creating anything at all to put out there is a gift.

You want to do something that shows some type individuality and talent and imagination - at the same time, you want to be truthful to the predecessors, because obviously the audience liked something about them and you have to replicate that experience to a certain extent.

Since the composer has said everything, if you discover everything, it will be enough and you will be a happy man. Don't try to say it's your taste, and because of that you are changing this or that. And I must say this respect is still there.

I don't want ever to be guilty of what my critics claim: doing formula without original elements.

I certainly want people to like my writing, but I know that if I write with the intention of trying to please people, the writing will not be good because it will not be authentic. So, ironically, I have to be willing to write something strange or unlovable in order to write anything truly good.

The only honest and generous thing for me to do is to give people myself. That's all I've got as an artist, so I want to do that in an unflinching way.

To form our taste, we must neither depreciate nor imitate, but we should understand and originate.

I think the success of my work stems from being truthful.

Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery.

One should never write down or up to people, but out of yourself.

Great artists are people who find the way to be themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike.

It's cool when people notice that you make an effort to live certain values.

I have a lot of respect for all the artists I get compared to, even if, as an artist, you prefer to have your own identity.

I think if you're too concerned with being cool or hip or liked, you can't really make good TV because sincerity and coolness are opposites.