Jack White Quotes

Deadlines and things make you creative.

Sitting around and waiting for your muse is not the best choice.

I don't believe in writer's block. Think about it - when you were blocked in college and had to write a paper, didn't it always manage to fix itself the night before the paper was due? Writer's block is having too much time on your hands.

I wrote 'Criminal' in 45 minutes when everyone else went to lunch because I had to have a hit. I can force myself to do the work, but only if someone is right up behind me.

I get so many ideas for songs, but I'm so seldom disciplined enough to sit down and crank them out.

I tend to be a lazy actress, unless I'm pushed.

If you wait for inspiration you'll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street.

I think every artist needs a rule that's stupid but that helps him, like a deadline would.

A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all.

I'm not very happy idle. There's always this voice in my head that says, 'I should be writing.'

There's no writer's block; there's only distraction.

Throughout my life, there's just periods when I write and periods when I don't. I don't feel like anything's really blocked. It's just not where things are at right now, and it's just a matter of time until there's something going on where I feel compelled to write.

If I don't feel like writing on a certain day, I just go to the cafe and hang around.

Usually composers need a reason to write. I need a deadline.

I tend to have a hard time working on pieces long before they're due. That's why I think the fact that I write a column is really good for me - the column has to be done, and there's no getting around it.

Sometimes time constraints bring out something cool.

I don't really manage my time. I really just wait until I'm inspired to do something. And when I'm inspired to do something, it just happens.

I don't believe in writer's block. Most of writer's block is having too much time on your hands. My mantra is that you can always edit a bad page; you can't edit a blank page.

You've got to create the space, then fill it.

Telling yourself you have all the time in the world, all the colors in the palette, that just kills creativity.

You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic.

Right now I feel so inspired, it's hard to believe. I've written about 20 songs in the last two days. I'd gone about four months without writing a thing.

The one mistake which is committed habitually by people who have the gift of half-genius, is waiting for inspiration.

My writing life is always a bit disorganized. It's hard for me to get going, but sometimes, once I begin, I go like the wind.

One reason I don't suffer Writer's Block is that I don't wait on the muse, I summon it at need.