A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the wayside... I'm going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
I'm very shy, and I shy away from people. But the moment I hit the stage, it's a different feeling I get nerve from somewhere; maybe it's because it's something I love to do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the transformative power of passion, where fear diminishes in the pursuit of what one loves.
Ella Fitzgerald articulates her personal experience of overcoming shyness when she performs on stage. This transformation highlights how engaging in a beloved activity can bring out confidence and a sense of purpose, suggesting that our true selves often emerge when we pursue our passions despite our fears.
Themes
ShynessPerformancePassionConfidenceArt
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote to inspire shy individuals during a public speaking course.
More from Ella Fitzgerald
All quotes →It isn't where you came from, its where you're going that counts.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
Once, when we were playing at the Apollo Theater, Holiday was working a block away at the Harlem Opera House. Some of us went over between shows to catch her, and afterwards we went backstage. I did something then, and I still don't know if it was the right thing to do—I asked her for her autograph.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
I've had some wonderful love affairs and some that didn't work out. I don't want to dwell on that and I don't want to put people down, but I think all the fabulous places I've been, the wonderful things that have happened for me, the great people I've met - that ought to make a story.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
Some kids in Italy call me 'Mama Jazz; I thought that was so cute. As long as they don't call me 'Grandma Jazz.'
Ella FitzgeraldRead
I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
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E. O. WilsonRead
In New York, a 13-year-old Indian girl came up to me crying, saying to everyone nearby, 'This is where I come from.' It's easy to forget that actors have the ability to instill a sense of self in viewers. That's the greatest compliment.
Priyanka ChopraRead
In the early days, Porter Wagoner would not exactly scold me, but he's say, 'You're writing too many damn verses. You're makin' these songs too damn long.' And I'd say, 'Yeah, but I'm tellin' a story. I have a story to tell.' And he'd say, 'Well, you're not going to get it on the radio.' If I start writing a song, I'm writing it for a reason. People would say that I had to have two verses, and a chorus, and a bridge. I tried to learn that formula.
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I feel like you only have so much time to make stuff. I'm definitely aware of that. I'm also excited about it.
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The anarchist painter is not the one who will create anarchist pictures, but the one who will fight with all his individuality against official conventions.
Paul SignacRead
Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else. (Notice this means that if you are interested only in writing you will never be a writer, because you will have nothing to write about...)
C. S. LewisRead