All art really does is keep you focused on questions of humanity, and it really is about how do we get on with our maker.
David BowieRead
I'm well past the age where I'm acceptable. You get to a certain age and you are forbidden access. You're not going to get the kind of coverage that you would like in music magazines, you're not going to get played on radio and you're not going to get played on television. I have to survive on word of mouth.
Interpretation
As one ages, societal acceptance in certain industries can diminish, pushing individuals to find alternative paths to success.
David Bowie's quote reflects the harsh reality that as artists grow older, they often face exclusion from mainstream media and celebration in their fields, such as music. He emphasizes how this phase of life necessitates resilience and adaptation, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional channels for success and validation.
In practice
A speaker at a panel discussion on age and creativity can use this quote to illustrate challenges faced by aging artists.
All art really does is keep you focused on questions of humanity, and it really is about how do we get on with our maker.
I guess, taking away all the theatrics or the costuming and the outer layers of what I do, I'm a writer... I write.
I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human.
Nothing prepared me for your smile
But I've got to think of myself as the luckiest guy. Robert Johnson only had one album's worth of work as his legacy. That's all that life allowed him.
I'm an early riser. I get up between five and six, have coffee, and read for a couple of hours before everyone else gets up.
In our local Baptist church, I sang in the choir and formed a gospel quartet. When our minister caught me messing with his guitar, he taught me three positions - one, four and five. After that, I taught myself to play.
Basically, I started singing when I started talking. Music has just been my saving grace my whole life.
Rock 'n' roll is ridiculous. It's absurd. In the past, U2 was trying to duck that. Now we're wrapping our arms around it and giving it a great big kiss.
When you sing, you pray twice.
It was my 16th birthday - my mom and dad gave me my Goya classical guitar that day. I sat down, wrote this song, and I just knew that that was the only thing I could ever really do - write songs and sing them to people.
Just because you're not a drummer doesn't mean you don't have to keep time.
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