I'm a storyteller who wants to tell untold, meaningful, universal stories in unforgettable ways. I want to do it all, study it all, and find my place in it.
Janelle MonaeRead
I have not lost any of my crazy, fearless, raw, soulful, eclectic side and I plan on continuing to tell universal stories in an unforgettable way.
Interpretation
The quote reflects an unwavering commitment to artistic authenticity and storytelling.
Janelle Monae expresses pride in her unique and diverse qualities, emphasizing that she has not compromised her individuality in her artistic journey. She is determined to continue creating impactful stories that resonate universally, highlighting the importance of personal expression and connection through art.
In practice
In a speech at an art exhibition, one could open with this quote to inspire artists to embrace their unique styles.
I'm a storyteller who wants to tell untold, meaningful, universal stories in unforgettable ways. I want to do it all, study it all, and find my place in it.
I have a great body, I really do. But I want to be taken seriously as an artist, and wearing anything that shows it off will be a distraction from the music. That's how my signature uniform, my tuxedo, came about. It's classic and timeless. You'll see me in black, white, and a pop of color on my lips. That pop adds a little magic.
Redefine what it means to be sexy and what it means to be a woman. Showing my skin is not what makes me sexy. I like skirts and dresses just like everyone else, but I had a message I needed to put out there. It was up to me to show people and young girls there was another way.
Even if it makes others comfortable, I will LOVE who I am
Perfection is often the enemy of greatness.
It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.
I get the impression sometimes that a play arrives in a sequence of events that I have no control over.
If you talk to any filmmaker, and if you said to them, 'I guarantee you x amount of money per month for the rest of your life, and it's not a big amount of money, but I can also guarantee that you will work continually, you will get to make what you want to make,' any filmmaker on the planet will make that kind of deal. I would have made it.
The modern artist... is working and expressing an inner world - in other words - expressing the energy, the motion, and other inner forces.
The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.
The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again inspire the composer; but when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again.
I believe that music is a spiritual language. My everyday self is pretty mundane and boring, but when I'm making music it allows for me to communicate a kind of transcendence that I can't communicate otherwise.
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