Tennessee Williams Quotes

Work infuses my whole life. My creative life is my real life, so it's hard to separate.

If something happened where I couldn't write music anymore, it would kill me. It's not just a job. It's not just a hobby. It's why I get up in the morning.

From an early age, I knew I would be unhappy if I wasn't doing something creative.

I work even when I am on vacation. You know that line by Stéphane Mallarmé, "All earthly existence must ultimately be contained in a book"? I am the kind of person who finds life interesting only if it is translated into writing, if it is parsed into words.

You should not separate your life from what you do.

I've always associated the moment of writing with a moment of lift, of joy, of unexpected reward.

Work isn't to make money; you work to justify life.

My inspiration comes from so many things, it is hard to give credit to one. I find music of all kinds to be a great inspiration. A melody or a lyric can fire my imagination. Exercise is another. Endorphins fuel my thoughts - I tend to work out scenes and dialogue when I am exercising. Reading is also a great inspiration.

Most artists work all the time, they do actually, especially good artists, they work all the time, what else is there to do? I mean you do.

Anything you read can influence your work, so I try to read good stuff.

I always say three things make a writer: inspiration, obviously; perspiration, doing the work. But the third is desperation. I'm not really fit for anything else, or to have a real job. That fear drives me. The pressure has always been self inflicted.

It's all about trying to find those projects where you get to enjoy yourself, because I think that's when you create as well: when you're genuinely excited about something. Then you're not just doing it because it's your job.

Everything can be going well, but if I'm not writing, I'm not happy. When I'm writing well, I'm like a different person.

That never stops. That's what drives you: the joy and excitement of doing what you love.

I have a strong work ethic, yet I'm incredibly lazy as well. The problem with being a writer is that everything you do can be called research. Sitting in the pub is research. Reading the newspaper can be research.

Writing is such a good thing to do because you can't really get bored with it. If you're bored with writing, you're bored with life.

I just want to work on things that move me.

My dad was an insane workaholic, and watching his work ethic gave me a lot of motivation.

I don't know how anyone could stop working.

My job is my life.

Do the work you believe in - if there's an authentic reason for doing it.

I'll work as long as I can. I'm happy with my life.

I don't like to work. I am not helpless without work. Work is an obsession for me.

Sure, I'm hyperactive. I make my staff a bit hyper, too, but motivating someone else is what gives me a buzz.

To be in a band with the other founding members that never sleep is inspiring. Questlove put out five books a year and deejays every night and still do the same day job that I do, only with more responsibility. It drives me to find a way to juggle it.