Arno Penzias Quotes

It has always bothered me that I don't paint like everyone else

All art is based on non-conformity.

It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.

I don't want ever to be guilty of what my critics claim: doing formula without original elements.

Just trying to be different - when I hear something - I don't like to go trampling on other people's sounds.

Anyone who creates something new or does something different artistically is going to be singled out.

The great challenge which faces us is to assure that, in our society of big-ness, we do not strangle the voice of creativity, that the rules of the game do not come to overshadow its purpose, that the grand orchestration of society leaves ample room for the man who marches to the music of another drummer.

Sure, I can talk like you, but I choose not to, It's like an art, you know? Picasso had to prove to the world he could paint the right way, before he goes putting both eyes on the side of a face... See if you paint wrong because that's the best you can do, you just a chump. But you do it because you want to? Then you're an artist...You can take that to the grave and dig it up when you need it.

It's time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. Stop settling for what's good enough and start creating art that matters.

I am an artist who's just tryin' to do something different, and basically not caring about everybody's opinions and wanting to follow what everybody else is doing. At the same time, I know when to be serious, but I know when to joke.

I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste.

There's a large opportunity for Bon Iver to be a special thing, even from a business standpoint - just trying to do cooler things. Every band sells t-shirts and plays certain auditoriums, but I'm sick of being like everyone else, because I'm not.

I get a kick out of being an outsider constantly. It allows me to be creative.

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

Posterity weaves no garlands for imitators.

It does not matter how badly you paint so long as you don't paint badly like other people.

I learned to embrace my individuality, and if that meant writing a song on one chord over and over again, then that's what I do.

Originality is the one thing which unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of.

When you're just like everybody else, you've nothing to offer other than your conformity.

Mainstream to me equals boring, so I don't want to be doing that.

The minute you succumb to outside pressure, you cease to be creative.

There were times in my career when I would try to write songs like Bob Dylan... Artists get hooked up in that. To be a follower, you lose.

I think the idea of art kills creativity.

It can be frightening to turn your back on what others think is right. But I'm not the same as a lot of people - I'm quite artistic and quite eccentric sometimes. If you honour that, you fit into yourself better - and people accept you for what you are.

I've had a lot of folks tell me that my songs weren't quite country because they didn't really sound like anybody that had come along and done it before me. I felt a little out of place for a while.