Singing has been a cherished gift, and my inability to sing has been a devastating blow.
Julie AndrewsRead
I've learned a lot of things about myself through singing. I used to have a certain dislike of the audience, not as individual people, but as a giant body who was judging me. Of course, it wasn`t really them judging me. It was me judging me. Once I got past that fear, it freed me up, not just when I was performing but in other parts of my life.
Interpretation
This quote expresses the idea that self-judgment can hinder personal expression and growth.
In this quote, Julie Andrews reflects on her journey as a performer and how her initial fear of the audience's judgment was actually a projection of her own self-doubt. By recognizing that the audience's perception was not the source of her insecurity, she liberated herself not only in her performances but also in her overall life, suggesting that overcoming internal barriers can lead to greater freedom and authenticity.
In practice
In a motivational speech about overcoming personal fears.
Singing has been a cherished gift, and my inability to sing has been a devastating blow.
My mother was terribly important to me, and I know how much I yearned for her in my youth, but I don't think I truly trusted her.
I come from a long line of below-stairs maids and gardeners. Good ol' peasant stock. My mother and her sister made a quantum leap out of that life. Then I made another quantum leap.
Every time I go out to perform, believe me. You never lose that fear of, 'I hope I do it right. I hope I don't fall flat on my face. I hope this will be good for them.'
Success is terrifying. Like happiness, it is often appreciated in retrospect. It's only later that you place it in perspective. Years from now, I'll look back and say, ‘God, wasn't it wonderful.’
I'd say almost that words come first, melody second.
One of the questions that has most bothered me in my reflections on culture is the question of kitsch. Just what is it? When did it begin? And why?
Painting is not made to decorate apartments. It's an offensive and defensive weapon against the enemy. (about Guernica).
The object of poetic activity is essentially language: whatever his beliefs and convictions, the poet is more concerned with words than with what these words designate.
How are we going to make painters by lecturing to them? We are going to make questioners, doubters, and talkers. We are going to make painters by painting ourselves, and by showing the paintings of others. By working frankly from our convictions, we are going to make them work frankly from theirs.
I wonder anybody does anything at Oxford but dream and remember, the place is so beautiful. One almost expects the people to sing instead of speaking. It is all like an opera.
It's much more fun to play something you're nothing like than what you are... It's much easier to hide yourself in a character.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.