What's real? What's not? That's what I do in my act, test how other people deal with reality.
While all the other kids were out playing ball and stuff, I used to stay in my room and imagine that there was a camera in the wall. And I used to really believe that I was putting on a television show and that it was going out to somewhere in the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the imagination and creativity of Andy Kaufman as he grew up, showcasing how he viewed play and reality as a performance.
In this quote, Andy Kaufman shares his childhood experiences of retreating into his imagination rather than engaging in conventional play like other children. He describes a vivid belief that his private performances were being broadcast to an audience, illustrating his unique perspective on life as a stage and hinting at his later career in entertainment, which was marked by a blend of art and performance.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a creative writing workshop, a mentor might use this quote to inspire students to embrace their imaginative powers.
More from Andy Kaufman
All quotes →Similar quotes
I bid the chords sweet music make, And all must follow in my wake.
I don't think in terms of optimism and pessimism when writing a story. I am telling a story.
The artist in his calling of interpreter creates because he must. He is so much of a voice that, for him, silence is like death
You know, Hitler wanted to be an artist. At eighteen he took his inheritance, seven hundred kronen, and moved to Vienna to live and study... Ever see one of his paintings? Neither have I. Resistance beat him. Call it overstatement but I'll say it anyway: it was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square of canvas.
Force yourself to write down what is of no interest, what is most obvious, most common, most colourless...antique shops, clothes, hi-fi, etc. Don't say, don't write 'etc'. Make an effort to exhaust the subject, even if that seems grotesque, or pointless, or stupid. You still haven't looked at anything, you've merely picked out what you've long ago picked out.
Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.