People want to be creatively satisfied, and having fun is such an important part of that.
Some things are very low profile, but if they excite me creatively, I accept them. Sometimes there are high-profile projects, and you have to do it. We all have human limitations. It is a painful decision to turn things down. Even accepting ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was a decision that I had to sacrifice another project.
We had a bond creatively that came out of ‘Lady Marmalade.’ It was our link. And people don’t know this, but P!nk and I actually met when we were both 16 years old in Philadelphia. I was recording my first album, and we were working with the same producers, so I originally knew her as Alecia.
We were looking for representation that was creatively and commercially in synch with our core DNA. The team at WME understands where we’re going, and we’re looking forward to taking our company to the next level with them by our side.
I would say that as I’ve gotten older, I trust my intuition more; I allow myself more freedom both musically, creatively and my own life existentially.
I’ve been doing documentaries for about 25 years and want to continue to do that, but I love the idea of working in a different medium. Advertising pushes the envelope creatively, and there is some really great work being done right now, so I’m excited to jump into it.
Get that right, then- if you get the quality right, then the marketability or whatever; your ability to sell videos or your ability to earn money or whatever, will follow naturally. But try to be creatively lead rather than market lead. And that’s important to me.
It’s so easy to call something a Jewish story or a gay story or a woman’s story. Aesthetically, if a story is not universal, it has failed. Your obligation is to the story. One rule creatively, and emotionally, is its universality.
I was working with Bill Graham management at the time and it was obvious to everyone concerned that albums like Open Fire, while they were good for me creatively, were not going to be commercially successful.
I think in terms of emotions. And feelings. So sometimes what I say may not always be clear. But creatively, there’s a lot to be said for that way of thinking.
Creatively, I’ve always wanted to be different as it relates to my craft, and reggae, being a part of my culture, makes up a percentage of that uniqueness. The only definition I can think of to describe my style is ‘OMI.’
I always imagine, and try to be on the lookout, for new things, for references that can inspire me creatively so I can showcase things that people haven’t done before or that are new.
You wanna work with people who you have a rapport with. You finish each other’s sentences a bit creatively when you’ve worked together for a while.
Leaders thrive when they feel creatively empowered, when they trust the people around them, when their confidence is swelling. Leaders make mistakes when they lose that same confidence, when they’re fretting about their power base, when they’re reacting instead of acting.
Be brave enough to live life creatively. The creative place where no one else has ever been.
The more you keep costs down, the more freedom you have creatively.
At this point, because we have stayed the same course for so many years, I feel like we are freer to make choices that are motivated by what feels right creatively at a given point in time.
I think every actor would wish there is some challenge that is left. I would consider to be creatively dead if I were to say that I am satisfied now.
The thing that’s protected me creatively is that the movies have made profits.
I try not to put anything political on the forefront of what I’m trying to do creatively. At the same time, I do think it’s wonderful when I hear people say that it’s inspirational that I’m an Indian woman on camera. My life is very diverse, and my friends are a diverse group of people.
I think, often, people who do something new creatively don’t benefit financially from it – it’s the people who come after and make them palatable that make money.
With certain ideas, you can predict commercial success. So with a ‘Toy Story 3’ or a ‘Cars 2,’ you know the idea is more likely to have financial success. But if you go down that path too far, you become creatively bankrupt because you’re just trying to repeat yourself.
If there’s anything that is the center of my career both creatively and emotionally, it’s the Olympics.
Each of the ‘Toy Story’s are telling an emotional story, but they’re comedic. They’re so successful creatively in terms of the stories they’re telling. And they’re pretty grounded.
For the first 18 months of Joy Division, we used our jobs to fund the band. We’d all chip in three, five quid to go and do a gig. But it was worth it. It was amazing we could afford to feed ourselves. But we were so creatively and artistically satisfied. You can’t explain that to somebody who’s never been there.
The fact that over 50 per cent of the residents of Toronto are not from Canada, that is always a good thing, creatively, and for food especially. That is easily a city’s biggest strength, and it is Toronto’s unique strength.
I want to interact creatively with the directors I work with – it’s a thrilling way to work.
In a lot of ways, a lot of smells that aren’t necessarily edible smell good, and they remind you of certain aspects of food. So making those associations with what smells good or smells a certain way and pairing that with actual edible ingredients is one avenue that we take creatively.
I think for the culture I gotta collaborate with Pharrell. He’s from my area, that’d be amazing – what he would pull out of creatively.
I’m gonna find creative ways to connect with people that actually matter and exist. That’s kinda like my goal, like, how can we creatively do things in a different way so that we can actually get people and talk to them?
I am often asked why I started to write poetry. The answer is that my motivation sprang from a visceral need to creatively articulate the experiences of the black youth of my generation, coming of age in a racist society.
I can write ten or twelve screenplays in the time it takes me to write one novel. This allows me to offload all of my stories. But it’s also not as creatively fulfilling.
For me to be able to punch above my weight creatively, to actually take a stand for what I was doing, I had to take on everything. I had to be the person who says, ‘I wrote it. I directed it.’
If you put your time and energy into developing creatively, that’s where you’ll go.
I know feeling pressure gets you nowhere creatively. You’ve just got to understand the character, understand the story, and just play it to the fullest extent.
I try to keep myself busy creatively; it’s for my own sanity after auditioning in the city for bad television shows and bad scripts and not being a name and having the clout to get my tapes passed on further.
British drama can compete with America creatively. But the two systems are very different.
‘Surviving Jack’ was actually a really nice show that was very well-run creatively.
Jane’s Addiction has only put out new music when our hearts were in and when we had something to say creatively.
I barely finish one pre-collection before I must start on another. Sales start, but I am already elsewhere creatively. The men’s show is being prepared, but we also need to think about accessories, perfumes and other items. In sum, I never stop.
Creatively, I thought we were still viable and could do more records. But our working relationship just wasn’t happening at all, and our chemistry as people broke down because of that.
I feel like I had a great career in a way. Maybe not the most successful monetarily or in other ways, but creatively, I feel incredibly fortunate.
The things that I leave creatively are going to stay here long past me. That’s the reason why the album is called ‘4Eva Is a Mighty Long Time.’
The whole point of film for me is that it’s such a joy. It’s such a wonder. The possibilities are literally endless in terms of what you can creatively do.
Movie music allows me to work with players as creatively as I can.
Commercialism isn’t challenging creatively; it’s only challenging in a stamina way.
I never play as well without these guys; the best I have ever been creatively has been with Pearl Jam.
The challenge in my life really is keeping the balance between feeling creatively energized and fulfilled without feeling overwhelmed and like I’m in the middle of a battlefield.
I suppose the worst case scenario is that people will get to the point where they can’t actually afford to make what they want to make creatively. The industry is collapsing.
I will admit, it’s so intoxicating working with Steve Carrell. Creatively and professionally.
I’m not sure I’ll find acting satisfying creatively forever. If you get the good roles, it’s great – if you have the freedom to choose your projects and not just do anything and everything.
Studio people are bright. Empowering. They don’t want to have to interfere creatively. That’s their horror story, too.
I mean, comedy’s hard. If you go back and look at the first season of ‘Seinfeld,’ it’s a work in progress and that’s what happens. It just takes time for people to figure each other out, and figure out timing, and to develop creatively with the writers.
