Bill Dixon Quotes

I suppose the biggest thing I learned is that I'm in it for the right reasons. I love my job as much now as when I first began. I still feel fully invested in every audition, every job - large or small, every appearance, every meeting with every fan.

I hope to live all my life for my art, without abandoning my principles one iota.

We put everything we had into this record, just like we do with every other record that we make.

I always feel the need to work as if I don't have a deal, because that's what's going to keep me around for a long time.

I am a career artist. A lot of people come by and they fly by night, but I'm gonna prove that I can stay in the game and have some longevity.

I think when you're not in the NFL or when you're early in your career, you don't understand how hard guys work, especially the guys that play a long time and are successful.

It's hard work if you want a proper and a lasting career.

The artists who endure are the ones who stay focused even after they have reached the top of their profession.

People want to be artists but don't want to do the ground work.

First of all, as a professional, you can run around saying "artists, schmartists" as much as you want. But I'm a professional, so if somebody hires me for something, I'm going to bring my best to it. They've hired me, I'm professional, I show up on time, I do my job. That's what we're doing. So in that sense, it's always both things.

It's not so much what the job gives you, it's what you give to the job.

If you can quit, then quit. If you can't quit, you're a writer.

I wasn't afraid of being poor; I rather took it for granted. I was good at getting by with very little. I couldn't imagine sacrificing my writing to anything else.

Modeling gave me a strong discipline of professionalism where you work very long hours.

The discipline learned from putting in time and effort as a child is a skill and a talent you carry with you for the rest of your life in trying to achieve goals.

Whoever wishes to devote himself to painting should begin by cutting out his own tongue

If I come to work every day and do my job, work as hard as I can, be a great teammate, the rest of that stuff will take care of itself.

I have never heard a dancer asking for advice about how to stay focused on her footwork, or a painter complaining about the dull day-to-day task of painting. What task worth doing isn't worth daily effort? Do you think Michelangelo was having fun the whole time he was on his back painting the Sistine Chapel's ceiling?

There is no way to success in art but to take off your coat, grind paint, and work like a digger on the railroad, all day and every day.

Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.

You stand your ground and you perform your art. That's what the artist does. The artist is about perfection.

Those who are to follow the arts should have a training in what is called poverty. Given a comfortable middle-class start in life, the artist is almost sure to end up by becoming a bellyacher, constantly complaining because the public does not rush forward at once to proclaim him.

First of all, you never retire. At least I don't retire.

I have all but killed myself for Photography. My passion for it is greater than ever. It's forty years that I have fought its fight... I am not fighting to make a 'name' for myself. Maybe you have some feeling for what the fight is for. It's a world's fight... All that's born of spirit seems mad in these days of materialism run riot.

I had a good, sound upbringing with sensible people around me. I was brought up by intelligent parents. My mother always said to me, "You've got to work at your career and you've got to be good at it. Okay, you've had a bit of success but that's not longevity. You've got to really work for a long time."