Octavia Spencer Quotes

I’m not trying to satisfy anybody but myself and the role that I’m playing.

My work is trying to at least define myself on my own terms, and then if other people enjoy things that's a lovely addition.

I just try to live my life and do my thing.

Life is too short to be living somebody else's dream.

It's a life's journey of finding ourselves, finding our power, and living for yourself, not for everyone else.

I just want to be myself and go for my own dreams and goals.

I care so much about making things that are useful for people to have and listen to, but I don't care so much that I won't do whatever the hell I want. It's just one of those things.

I don't think the goal is, 'How big a star did you ever become?' I think the goal is, 'Were you able to express yourself?'

Our work is to make ourselves visible in the world. This is the soul's individual journey, and the soul would much rather fail at its own life than succeed at someone else's.

From the idea that the self is not given to us, I think there is only one practical consequence: we have to create ourselves as a work of art.

I just do what feels right. I think the great thing about getting to do what I do is that you can try out being a different person without having to screw up your life to do it.

I try to please myself. I don't try to anticipate what people want to see.

There are lots of people I admire and respect, but I don't necessarily want to be like them. I'm too happy being myself.

That's the very definition of freedom: to be allowed to develop our own creative potential to the fullest. But it doesn't have to be in the arts, obviously. In my case, I gravitated toward the arts.

A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one's own path, not chasing after the dreams of others.

What's great is that starting a blog can get you lot of attention for your writing. But it doesn't have to be for anybody other than yourself.

Don't let anybody tell you different, man: The main goal in life careerwise should always be to try to get paid to simply be yourself.

For your own self-respect and sanity, your creative freedom, you have to be careful that you don't rely too much on other people's opinions of what you do because it can stunt and inhibit you.

I'll always take an artistic endeavor over a career move.

I once wanted to prove myself by being a great actress. Now I want to prove that I'm a person. Then maybe I'll be a great actress.

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

The only thing I want to be defined by is my music and personality.

With my designs and my ideas, I want to please myself first.

It's nice to create something you believe in. It's even nicer to dance to your own tunes sometimes.