Quotes About Self-discovery

When you're young, you want to make every kind of film: musicals, Westerns, horror. Slowly you begin to hear your own voice. I hope people receive what I do as small, personal films that are somewhat contrarian about their main characters.

In your mid-twenties, the paint is still wet on who you are.

The very first Walnut Whales recording was recorded just a few weeks after I had started singing, out of the blue, started singing. And the voice, you can hear how uncomfortable I am with it, and how terrified I am with it.

What if you could be anything, or anybody, you chose to be? Think about it. What would you choose to be?

It's been a very strong force for me over the years. I don't know exactly why. For some people, fear can be a very useful thing. They can use it to recognise there's something missing, and heal themselves. But fear can also destroy some people. I think I'm the first type of person. I'm pretty anxious, always thinking 'what if?' about the bad stuff.

Kids are always told that they can be anything that they want. But what if you want to be a ballerina, and you're terrible at ballet? Or what if you're gifted at ballet, but you don't like doing it?

When you're injured you get a lot of time to think and I've had a lot of 'what if?' moments. It's been hard to deal with.

I've always considered myself a little more fluid along the spectrum. So even being called bisexual... I remember, in my early twenties, I was like, 'But bisexual means I can only like girls and guys. What if I like something else?'

Every single person, pretty much, is taught what they're supposed to do: go to school, get a job, find someone to love, get married, have kids, raise the kids, and then die. Nobody questions that. What if you want to do something different?

Every boy grows up trying to be like his father, but what if a boy grows up to be like his mother?

What if everything I thought was wrong with me was actually right with me? You have to have the courage to show who you are to the world.

I'm probably wouldn't do anything differently if I had to do it again. Every little thing that happens to you, good and bad, becomes a little piece of the puzzle of who you become. Every successful person you read about - Warren Buffett, Bill Gates - they all say pretty much the same thing. 'Do what you love.' I know I did.

When you're doing what you love to do, you become resilient. You create a habit of taking chances on yourself. If you do what's expected of you, and things go poorly, you will look to external sources for what to do next, because that will be your habit. You will be standing there frozen. If you are just filling a role, you will be blindsided.

I learned, when I look in the mirror and tell my story, that I should be myself and not peep whatever everybody is doing.

Music is supposed to be an escape. It's supposed to be somewhere you go, where you can be yourself, or be whatever you want to be.

People think being alone is a luxury, but it's crucial: Whatever you're not down with about yourself gets loud and in your face.

I have this firm belief that I am who I am for a reason. If I change something, I'm cheating myself of whatever it is I'm supposed to learn from my body. You know, I'm legally blind. I'm 20/750, since I was in fifth grade. I wear glasses and contacts. But I won't even get LASIK.

Be whatever you want to be.

You gotta keep trying to find your niche and trying to fit into whatever slot that's left for you or to make one of your own.

I'm a multidimensional person and that's the freedom of fashion: that you're able to reinvent yourself through how you dress and how you cut your hair or whatever.

When I forget who I am, I remind myself by finding my stride. I remember that I am strong, free, and loved, and that with God's help I can weather whatever comes.

I really believe, when you come out of hiding, in whatever way you're hiding, you get to go out into the sunlight.

I actually don't label myself, but... Some people call me queer; some people call me bisexual, whatever it is now. I'm happy with all of it 'cause it all sort of represents me, in a way. I spent a majority of my life in the closet.

My sister is a big part of my actual style. Our style is not similar whatsoever, but she helped me find myself and find what I really liked.