June Jordan Quotes

Art is about expressing the true nature of the human spirit in whatever way one wishes to express it. If it is honest, it is beautiful. If it is not honest, it is obvious.

The moment you cheat for the sake of beauty, you know you're an artist.

I'm a writer. My job is to speak what - that which I think is true. If that bridges the gap, that's good. If it doesn't, that's too bad.

Art is truth.

I am quite certain in my heart of hearts that modern music and modern art is not a conspiracy, but is a form of truth and integrity for those who practise it honestly, decently and with all their being.

For a creative writer possession of the 'truth' is less important than emotional sincerity.

Songwriters tell the truth.

As a novelist, I ask of myself only that I tell the truth and that I tell it beautifully.

The writer, when he is also an artist, is someone who admits what others don't dare reveal.

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.

I love creating and being able to see an idea come to fruition. I love making beautiful things.

The beauty of being a musician is writing songs. That's the best part. It's therapeutic and honest and private.

I wouldn't be a writer if I couldn't tell the truth.

I think there's something beautiful about the art of making art, and it just will live and breathe.

I think art is much more valuable when it's honest. If it's not honest, it's just propaganda.

Please understand that I make music to express myself, and if you know anything about me, you know that I'm nothing but honest.

I love writing about things I know, and I like to be very honest in my music.

My thing is to try to tell the truth as honestly as possible. For me, the weight is, how can I tell the truth through fiction, the best that I can?

This may sound corny, but I've always liked to make things that were beautiful.

Always make your work be personal. And, you never have to lie... There is something we know that's connected with beauty and truth. There is something ancient. We know that art is about beauty, and therefore it has to be about truth.

Public opinion which, to be sure, can at times be helpful, must never for an instant swerve us from what we know in our heart we are trying to convey. For honesty is the great requisite of art. If we remain honest with ourselves, art, which is always there, never lets us down.

'Birdman' came from a very beautiful side of me, from a part of honesty and surrender about things.

The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is.

When you're an artist, all you're trying to do is self-express.