Unless a piece really said something, I had no interest in it. I have got to know that I have served some purpose here.
Interpretation
Art must convey a message or purpose for it to be meaningful.
Cicely Tyson emphasizes the importance of meaningful expression in art. For her, the true value of any artistic work lies in its ability to communicate a significant message or serve a purpose, highlighting the belief that art should not exist merely for decoration but to provoke thought and evoke emotion.
In practice
This quote can be used during an art critique to encourage deeper analysis of artworks.
How do you project a character if you don't have a sense of where she is from? I've always just gotten on a plane to go to the area to get a sense of what it is like, to smell it, feel the earth, hear people talk, go to the marketplaces.
I saw that I could not afford the luxury of just being an actress. So I made a choice to use my career as a platform to address the issues of the race I was born into.
I don't think you can measure wealth in dollars and cents. I really don't believe that at all because there are some things that money cannot buy. One of them is health. And the other is security in your relationships and friends.
One of the things I have always said about the man-woman relationship is that I don't want anybody to walk ahead of me, and I don't want anybody to walk behind me. I want a man who will walk along beside me. And that's how I feel about equal rights.
When I attack a role, be it TV, film or stage, the first thing I say is, I don't want to know anything. If it's good I don't want to hear it; if it's bad I don't want to hear it. The only thing either thing can do is distract me. I like to stay focused
We have to support our own films. If we don't, how can we expect others to support them?
I’ve learned what ‘classical’ means. It means something that sings and dances through sheer joy of existence.
Queen and huntress, chaste and fair Now the sun is laid to sleep, Seated in thy silver chair, State in wonted manner keep: Hesperus entreats thy light Goddess, excellently bright.
Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memories.
If you want your writing to be taken seriously, don't marry and have kids, and above all, don't die. But if you have to die, commit suicide. They approve of that.
I could never overstate the importance of a musician's need to develop his or her ear. Actually, I believe that developing a good 'inner ear' - the art of being able to decipher musical components solely through listening - is the most important element in becoming a good musician.
I can only think of music as something inherent in every human being - a birthright. Music coordinates mind, body and spirit.
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