Quotes About Expression

If an ordinary person is silent, it may be a tactical maneuver. If a writer is silent, he is lying.

And what do the poets have to say about it? — They only lie!

I speak onstage to try to establish some method of communication. The songs are supposed to be a way of communicating. But speech and drinks and sometimes chocolates are also a way of communicating.

One day as we were doing our bookwork, a teacher suddenly asked us to help him remove all the desks and chairs from the center of the classroom. Then he sat us all down in a circle, brought out his guitar, and sang songs. We recognized the lyrics—the poems and stories we ourselves had written! After that I wrote more, searching dictionaries for new words to express myself. Every day we walked out of class believing that what we did mattered.

I occasionally play works by contemporary composers and for two reasons. First to discourage the composer from writing any more and secondly to remind myself how much I appreciate Beethoven.

Music has a lot in com­mon with math­e­mat­ics. But in music, two and two need not make four: they add up to what­ever you wish.

I apparently held a belief that if I expressed my anger, I would destroy our bond forever. The relationship was not ruined; in fact, it was strengthened. But I had no reference, no previous experience to tell me this could be so. I had never dared express my anger at my family and had a marked lack of experience in this process of rupture and repair.

Bringing something into physical form can be a way not only of expressing but also integrating what's inside.

I am going to sing lesbian love songs and support gay rights no matter what. The rest is public relations.

I don't have much to say to that. I mean, I have a lot to say, so I don't say anything.

I'm very particular about the kind of music that I record and sing, and it would be the same way about the kind of movies that I would do.

If you say, 'I'm going to cut this song because I know the teenagers are going to love it ' well, then you're going to alienate everybody else. When I cut my record, I'm just going to cut the things that I like, and whoever likes it, likes it. That's too much work to try to figure out the demographic. That's too much like a business.

HALF AN hour later, Richey James sits alone in the dressing room, smoking a cigarette and staring straight ahead. He's not saying anything. Is it because he treasures his guitars, that he never smashes them? "No, I dislike my guitar intensely," he sighs. "I can't even be bothered to smash the fucking thing. It doesn't deserve death...

He justifies the cigarette burns as, "my way of not screaming or shouting when things fuck up. It's just discipline, and something to do. We never call each other cunts and wankers in this band. We just walk away." "What I usually do," pitches in Nicky, "is put all my clothes in the sink and wash 'em. That's the difference between him and me!

I'm obsessed with trying to recount events as accurately and honestly as possible, but in practice the only thing I'm really any good at is telling you how I feel.

Chris will not talk," she said. "He will keep everything in his heart, and later it will burst.

Check the cover letter. In a cover letter, you get actual communication instead of a list of skills, verbs, and years of irrelevance.

They're need, must, can't, easy, just, only, and fast. These words get in the way of healthy communication. They are red flags that introduce animosity, torpedo good discussions, and cause projects to be late.

Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking. Great writers know how to communicate. They make things easy to understand.

Great businesses have a point of view, not just a product or service. You have to believe in something. You need to have a backbone. You need to know what you're willing to fight for. And then you need to show the world.

If you need to explain something, try getting real with it. Instead of describing what something looks like, draw it. Instead of explaining what something sounds like, hum it. Do everything you can to remove layers of abstraction.

fingers." You can buy the same guitar, effects pedals, and amplifier that Eddie Van Halen uses. But when you play that rig, it's still going to sound like you.

It's a beautiful way to put it: Leave the poetry in what you make. When something becomes too polished, it loses its soul. It seems robotic. So talk like you really talk. Reveal things that others are unwilling to discuss. Be upfront about your shortcomings. Show the latest version of what you're working on, even if you're not done yet. It's OK if it's not perfect. You might not seem as professional, but you will seem a lot more genuine.

when you're writing, don't think about all the people who may read your words. Think of one person.