Imelda Staunton Quotes

I want to be an artist you cannot categorize at all. You can't put a box around me. You can't put anything around me.

Normality is to be different. Every person is a different person. And one day you need to be aware of your difference. Aware that you are not the same as the others. That is to be normal.

Art school had taught me it was far better to be a flamboyant failure than any kind of benign success.

But I'm the only one who can paint the moon, because I'm the only one who knows whether that's right or not.

You're made aware of what the industry is and what you need to conform to; I don't fit that, and I'm never going to.

Books are not brands. Some people are very willing to see themselves as a brand, but you can't be a certain type of writer to a certain type of person all the time. It will kill you.

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

I realize that my life is not the common ordinary person.

I don't think of my life as a cliche, but I'm a cliche eccentric. Complete with a strange name - I mean, who's named Val? How many Vals do you know? I mean, really?

Like most creative people I don't fit well into boxes.

We didn't go for music that sounded like blues, or jazz, or rock, or Led Zeppelin, or Rolling Stones. We didn't want to be like any of the other bands.

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.

I think if there's any difference between me and a traditional CEO, it's that I've been unwilling to change myself or shape my personality around what's expected.

I didn't want to be like everybody else. Art was my religion.

Artists are traditionally resistant to labels.

I think it is very important in this business to be an individual.

All my close friends are non-conformist. To say 'misfits' sounds bad, but there is something positive about being a little on the outside - it gives you an interesting perspective on things - and I think that's something Robyn and I share.

I couldn't put into a capsule one thing that represents me, I don't think.

I think being 50 and being me is different than any other fighter in any era.

I don't believe in reducing a style and a voice down to a set of descriptions, so I've never done that.

I feel like I'm just built differently.

I'm not like any other artist, point blank.

The worst frame of mind to be in is what the fans like or what the fans want, because then you lose the authenticity of who you are as an artist and who you are as a person.

I've always looked around and pretty much knew that I was built a little different.

For the longest time I didn't realize I was creative - I just thought I was strange.