Like books and black lives - albums still matter. Tonight and always.
Sometimes ideas are coming so fast that I have to stop doing one song to get another. But I don't forget the first one. If it works, it will always be there. It's like the truth: it will find you and lift you up. And if it ain't right, it will dissolve like sand on the beach.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Ideas can come quickly and may need to be prioritized; true ideas will endure and uplift you.
This quote by Prince emphasizes the nature of creativity and the flow of ideas. He suggests that when inspiration strikes, it can be overwhelming, often leading one to momentarily pause one project for another. Yet, he reassures that genuine ideas will remain memorable and impactful, much like the truth, whereas insubstantial ideas will fade away, similar to how sand washes away on a beach. This reflects on the importance of recognizing and trusting in the ideas that hold true significance.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a speech about the creative process during a music festival.
More from Prince
All quotes →Oh, I love critics. Because they love me. It's not a joke. They care.
Young people have decided they like to listen to music in a certain way, through ear buds, and that's fine with me as long as it doesn't bother them that they're not hearing 90 percent of the music that way.
Like books and black lives, albums still matter.
I used to be more involved with every aspect of everything onstage. I'm way more relaxed now. It feels like anything can happen.
The hardest thing with musicians is getting them not to play.
Similar quotes
Creativity is a natural extension of our enthusiasm.
As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood.
We think about the world in all ways we experience it ; we think visually, we think in sign, we think kinesthetically, we think in abstract term, we think in movement. Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value.
We all feel that if we have a crazy idea that might get laughed at, there's nothing wrong with seeing if there's a crazy writer out there who agrees with us and can take it to a crazy network and somehow bring something that's a little bit daft and edgy to life.
We are all creative, but by the time we are three of four years old, someone has knocked the creativity out of us. Some people shut up the kids who start to tell stories. Kids dance in their cribs, but someone will insist they sit still. By the time the creative people are ten or twelve, they want to be like everyone else.
I do much of my creative thinking while golfing. If people know you're working at home they think nothing of walking in for a cup of coffee, but wouldn't dream of interrupting on the golf course.