Quotes About Artistry

An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.

I don't want people to think that just because I do club records, I can't do an album record or an R&B single. I can do R&B, I do pop, I do whatever - but it's still Mustard.

Nobody does animation better than Disney; it's just that some of us wanted out of the box. Burton was one. I was another. We were the mutual complaint society.

I can't list all the influences that Lady Gaga has given me and my generation.

Coming out as a Barbra Streisand fan was way more embarrassing than coming out as a lesbian. To be an artist of my generation willing to be unhip - artists were supposed to be like cowboys.

In our 20s, women in my generation, we all wanted to be Laurie Anderson.

I think my generation is defining themselves as Canadian artists.

I would say that jazz is my own language.

I know who Michael Jackson is, I know who Prince is, I know the Isley Brothers, all that. Still, I got my own thing going with this music.

I like to compose, but only for myself. I write my own lyrics and compose the music around them.

I never look at other people's work. My mind has to be completely focused on my own illusions.

I wanted to be an architect. I used to draw houses and buildings and construct buildings on my own.

I'd rather be a poor singer/songwriter doing what I love than get rich from selling my soul.

I want to put my soul into the music and still be who I am when it comes to an actual conversation.

I love creating things that come from my gut and my soul.

Peforming as James Brown, I didn't really have to go deep in my soul the way I do as Charles Bradley.

I put my soul into every book I write.

My only goal is to be the best actress I can be. You have to give it everything. All I have as an actress is the revelation of my soul.

I don't write anything down - it comes from my head and my soul and my heart and my pain. That allows me to make the best music I can make.

I always had the feeling that Bleachers is my soul.

I've had mixtapes that have been better than albums I've heard from other artists. I take my time; I put my heart into it.

There's a time and place for everything, and my focus is music. So that's what I prefer to spend most of my time doing, and not talk about making music.

If I wanted to make a lot of money with 'Hedwig,' I could have spent all my time on it. But that's boring.

The album cover of 'Death of a Bachelor' is me on my roof of my backyard, so that's my place where I spend most of my time writing.