You are on the eve of a complete victory. You can't go wrong. The world is behind you.
Josephine BakerRead
A violinist had a violin, a painter his palette. All I had was myself. I was the instrument that I must care for.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and self-care in one's creative pursuits.
In this quote, Josephine Baker reflects on the essence of creativity and artistry by comparing herself to a violinist and a painter, highlighting that while they have specific tools for their craft, she views herself as her own instrument. This serves as a reminder that nurturing oneself is vital for expressing and executing one's artistic talents, suggesting that personal growth and care are foundational to creativity.
In practice
During a motivational speech about self-improvement.
You are on the eve of a complete victory. You can't go wrong. The world is behind you.
I ran away from St. Louis, and then I ran away from the United States, because of that terror of discrimination.
Friends, to me for years St. Louis represented a city of fear... humiliation... misery and terror... A city where in the eyes of the white man a Negro should know his place and had better stay in it.
I did take the blows [of life], but I took them with my chin up, in dignity, because I so profoundly love and respect humanity.
You must get an education. You must go to school, and you must learn to protect yourself. And you must learn to protect yourself with the pen, and not the gun.
I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the houses of presidents. And much more.
And your eyes must do some raining if you're ever gonna grow / When crying don't help, you can't compose yourself / It's best to compose a poem, an honest verse of longing / Or a simple song of hope.
It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.
I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot.
Writing! The activity for which the only adequate bribe is the possibility of suicide, one day.
Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.
So I try to re-invent my own eye every time I tackle a new subject. But it's hard, because everybody has style. You can't help it.
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