A good actor always sets you straight. If you've written a false moment and thought it was probably pretty great, the actor's gonna show you when he gets to that moment. They're the great test of the validity of the material.
Sam ShepardRead
Careers don't interest me. The only thing that interests me is continuing to be a poet on one level or another, whether acting or writing or directing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The pursuit of creativity is more important to the speaker than traditional career paths.
In this quote, Sam Shepard emphasizes that his true passion lies in the creative expression of poetry and not in conventional career ambitions. He suggests that acting, writing, and directing are all means to continue his journey as a poet, highlighting the importance of artistic fulfillment over professional titles or positions.
Themes
PoetryCreativityArtistic ExpressionCareerPassion
In practice
Example use cases
During a creative writing workshop, this quote can inspire participants to pursue their art passionately.
More from Sam Shepard
All quotes βI stay away from heavy-handed stuff, the good guy and the bad guy. It just doesn't interest me; all it does is create more fences between people, I think.
Sam ShepardRead
I hate endings. Just detest them. Beginnings are definitely the most exciting, middles are perplexing and endings are a disaster. β¦ The temptation towards resolution, towards wrapping up the package, seems to me a terrible trap. Why not be more honest with the moment? The most authentic endings are the ones which are already revolving towards another beginning. Thatβs genius.
Sam ShepardRead
There are places where writing is acting and acting is writing. I'm not so interested in the divisions. I'm interested in the way things cross over.
Sam ShepardRead
Democracy's a very fragile thing. You have to take care of democracy. As soon as you stop being responsible to it and allow it to turn into scare tactics, it's no longer democracy, is it? It's something else. It may be an inch away from totalitarianism.
Sam ShepardRead
On stage, you're not limited at all because you're free in language: language is the source of the imagination. You can travel farther in language than you can in any film.
Sam ShepardRead
Similar quotes
I like books that are fat and full.
Mary OliverRead
The minute you start the process of deciding to make a film and you're communicating that vision to anyone, you're in the process of selling. If you don't understand that, you're not in show business. You're just not.
Peter GuberRead
Work a great deal at evening effects, lamplight, candlelight, etc. The intriguing thing is not to show the source of the light but the effect of the lighting.
Edgar DegasRead
Movie directing is a perfect refuge for the mediocre.
Orson WellesRead
Fashion is where I make my living. I'm not knocking it; it's a pleasure to make a living that way. Then there's the deeper pleasure of doing my portraits.
Richard AvedonRead
I wanted to write a show about an estate that wasn't sad or morbid, like a lot of shows portray working class life to be.
Michaela CoelRead