Kerry Washington Quotes

You playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightening about shrinking so others won't feel insecure around you. As you let your own light shine, you indirectly give others permission to do the same.

If we're afraid to stand in our own skin with those we work with, then how do we lead those who have no voice at all?

I'll never forget one time a fan came up to me crying, and told me, 'You really inspire me to be me. I feel OK to be myself now.'

I am an open book, and I'm fine being me: I'm not a perfect person.

Everybody's a train wreck in their own very special way. But there's something wildly freeing about someone who's unapologetic, who knows they're a wreck and doesn't even try to hide it, just bulldozes through life.

I think it's great that she's not perfect and wasn't perfect. I think that's maybe why so many young girls and different people look up to Mac and respect her even more.

Once you accept that we're all imperfect, it's the most liberating thing in the world. Then you can go around making mistakes and saying the wrong thing and tripping over on the street and all that and not feel worried.

I have found great power in taking my 'difference' out for a spin in a very public way. And usually, the worst, most personally embarrassing thing you imagine in your mind is often not anywhere near as bad in real life.

I'm not always in a full face of make-up! That's actually one of the things I like about make-up - that you can strip it away and show your vulnerability.

People have a problem with me being different, but that propels me forward in life.

What you have to understand is that my thing is not glamour. I love stretch marks and C-section scars and all of that. I'm a grown man. You don't gotta put on no makeup with me.

People are embracing the thing that made them different growing up instead of letting that thing elicit shame.

Let's be honest - it's hard for me to get more sexy, but I'm giving it a go.

What I really realized is that by being myself, regardless of what that means, you become a better role model.

I'm trying to basically just focus on sharing everything that I was feeling with other people, so I can hopefully inspire other people to free themselves.

I just want to keep on creating stuff that people can relate to and inspire anyone who feels like their voice isn't heard; being relatable and being as authentic as possible is the whole goal of my production company.

Kids will tell me 'oh I want to be like you when I grow up,' you know. I just thought 'nah, don't be like me, be like you,' because first of all they don't really know me but second of all I understand what they're trying to say but I just let them know - be like you.

A bunch of my fans have come up to me and said, 'Because of you, and because you came out, I have finally begun to accept myself.' That is infinitely incredible for me. I didn't expect to get to the point where I would own up to it within myself.

I like people who are authentically themselves, and they own it, and most importantly, they own their story.

I think that for a lot of people, I inspire them to be themselves.

When you share your story and become vulnerable, the ripple effect and the people that you can help along the way is a life lesson.

On stage, we embrace every ounce of ourselves, we celebrate who we are, we are honest and live our truth - and we inspire people to do the same.

Everybody has that thing about them that makes them special, and sometimes we try to dull it down or we don't always want to expose it, and maybe we've been taught that way or whatever. It's just a matter of letting it out and letting it go and letting people in on it.

My sister Miley really inspires me because she's all about being herself.

I feel that my winning 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and also being all the way from Africa gave people the audacity to just be themselves, all while encouraging and inspiring many people back home.