Tori Amos Quotes

If something sucks, I've always been completely vocal about it, and I've been punished many, many times because of that. But I don't think I'd be in the spot I'm in right now if I wasn't me. I've always just been me.

I've always been slightly afraid of coming out with my record because it's so personal to me. Now it doesn't feel as frightening as I thought it would.

If people are making fun of you then you're probably doing something right.

I think if you have any fear or shame, it's really hard to want to express yourself.

Putting myself out there knowing I can be criticized - it's ironic, but to me, that's the most empowering thing.

I was trying to do one-liners and it took me years to realise I just had to be myself. My fear was if I was myself and no one found it funny, I'd have nowhere left to go.

People ridicule you for the silliest thing, like what you wore to an event. At the end of the day, I'm just being me - if that's not good enough for you, tell me what is. Usually people don't have an answer.

Work freely and rollickingly as though you were talking to a friend who loves you. Mentally (at least three or four times a day) thumb your nose at all know-it-alls, jeerers, critics, doubters.

If you are worried about what others might think and about how your position in the group might be jeopardized, then you will never really create anything.

Accept your genius and say what you think.

if I could tell my very-younger self something, I would tell him to let loose more often. I think it all roots in sexuality, but because of that, I became so worried about everything — worried about what people thought. I was afraid to be creative and charismatic and eccentric. Just to do things to do things, like dancing. I was afraid of looking too flamboyant or something. I would tell myself to stop being so stressed about what other people are thinking. Stop being so afraid that something may not come off the right way.

Only you know what you're trying to accomplish. Any time you're thinking about whether someone's going to like this or not like this, you're f**ked. You've made the decision based in fear. Fear is the cancer to creativity.

I think I was in high school, actually, and it was a guidance counselor or someone said, you know, you're just too loud; like you need to just stop talking so much and stop being so opinionated; like no one wants to listen to you because you're really annoying. And I'm glad that I didn't shut up, because it seems like people are listening.

I wish I could say confidently that pacing remains my weak point, if you could talk about your own stuff without sounding like you're self-obsessed. But I think you kind of have to be.

It's a very vulnerable position to be in. I was so young and I was not focused on what I looked like. I was focused on the gold medal. At the end of the day, I have changed. I can't blame anybody for saying, 'Oh, she changed!' You know, because I have. And that's OK. It's good to keep evolving and growing. I think most people should be accepting with stuff like that, but you know, you can't force anybody into feeling a certain way. So for anybody who's judging it and not liking it, that's fine. Unfollow me. I don't really care.

What's interesting is to be sexy but not know it. You'll be in a restaurant, and some girls will walk in and you can tell that they really want to be sexy. It's written on their faces because that's all they want to show. There's a fear that one might not look further.

The thing about a pick-up line is, even if it works, then what? I just figure you unapologetically be yourself, and if it works, cool.

I was fooling everyone by surrounding myself with funny people. But then I put myself out there - writing my own sketches, going on stage with nobody surrounding me - and for some reason people were still laughing.

Me in my music and onstage - that's me without any fears of judgement; that's me when I'm shining.

If you have a sense of style and purpose and will you don't want to compromise.

I think comedy I've learned is really just about relaxing and trusting yourself and allowing yourself to fail.

At first, I was scared to show fear because you can never be sure how people will perceive you. But I dared myself to do that, to stand out. Now I'll talk about being beaten up or robbed or making a stupid decision because of a girl or whatever.

The older I get, the more I understand that the only way to say valuable things is to lose your fear of being correct.

My father once said something very shrewd about me to a woman journalist who had told him how courageous she thought I was for always speaking my mind. My father said, 'If you couldn't care less what anyone says about you, then it's not courage.'

I used to be so afraid to say what I really think.