“The reality is – you can't accomplish anything unless you're all in emotionally, physically… you have to put it all on the table. You can't just put a little part of you out there in case you get hurt… guess what… everything about competition will hurt. The losses hurt… a huge wipe out hurts…. Breaking a board and getting hit on the head, that hurts. The more you do it – the more you build a mental scar tissue that you can lean on – That's the 'stuff' that lets you pick up the pieces and go again.”
— Sally Fitzgibbons
Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

The quote archive

Creativity

A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.

I'm a firm believer that creativity comes from restrictions, so I'm really grateful that I grew-up with so many restrictions around me. When you give someone complete freedom and a blank canvas, it could take forever to figure out what you want to do, but when you give people limitations and say, 'here's a canvas, but you can only paint with yellow..' – the wheels start turning, and you plan to get out of the box you're put in.

— AJ Mendez

Professional wrestler and WWE performer, known as AJ Lee

It sounds strange but my system came to me in a sort-of almost otherworldly way. It was very powerful.

— Jordan Belfort

Stock Broker Convicted of Fraud; Subject of "The Wolf of Wall Street

The best portraits happen when you strip away all the pretense, all the masks people wear, and you find that raw, honest moment. That's when magic happens.

— Rankin

Scottish photographer and filmmaker known for provocative social documentary work

When you're behind a camera, you have this incredible power to freeze a moment in time. But with that power comes responsibility. You're not just taking a picture, you're creating a narrative, you're telling a story.

— Rankin

Scottish photographer and filmmaker known for provocative social documentary work

The camera doesn't lie, but the photographer does. And that's the beauty of it. Photography is about interpretation, it's about your point of view, it's about how you see the world.

— Rankin

Scottish photographer and filmmaker known for provocative social documentary work

That thing of me being anonymous and just the music that's moving the person.

— Nile Rodgers

Legendary Guitarist & Producer: Chic Founder, Producer for David Bowie, Madonna

The only time I ever heard the song was in my head when I wrote it and when we recorded it that night. The next time I heard it was in a room full of strangers dancing to it.

— Nile Rodgers

Legendary Guitarist & Producer: Chic Founder, Producer for David Bowie, Madonna

I walked in completely anonymous and meanwhile these people are responding to my work and have no idea who I am, and it was just 'this is the most incredible feeling in the world'.

— Nile Rodgers

Legendary Guitarist & Producer: Chic Founder, Producer for David Bowie, Madonna

The greatest film-makers have an ability to work beyond the genre. Kubrick, Scorsese and even the great Ford who made Westerns, but transcended them. There's something about the vision of these film-makers that can use the supporting framework of a genre but create something which appeals to a wider story and audience. That's why they are the great masters.

— Paul Greengrass

Director of Bourne action films and political thrillers

I think it's always good to find a film which is a question and an answer. It's hard to do – and often, when you've already decided the answer before you make the film, you'll find the film is less successful. In a funny way- if you can frame your question accurately as something that you don't know the answer to- and use the film as a way of finding the answer- you'll get a more complex and engaging film.

— Paul Greengrass

Director of Bourne action films and political thrillers

When you're young, you're trying to earn a living- that's the most important thing. But alongside trying to earn a living, you're trying to find a voice and make films about things that interest you- you have an intentionality to your work. As you get more mature, gain trust and success- you get more freedom to make what you want- but those first-principles still apply; you are making a film that speaks to the things you're interested in.

— Paul Greengrass

Director of Bourne action films and political thrillers

The look of a film indicates the relationship you have with characters. You don't pick an aesthetic in abstract – you need to have a core point, a core reason to make a film, and the form of aesthetic springs from that necessity. Everything has to relate to that core intention.

— Ken Loach

British Filmmaker Known for Social Realist Films & Political Advocacy

True art, real art, real creativity, comes from somewhere else. It isn't about a picture or decoration- there's a divinity to it…

— Tracey Emin

British artist known for provocative conceptual and autobiographical works

'Brand,' is what journalists and industry-people say… we say culture movement. As artists we say culture! Movement! And analysts say brand. I don't know what a brand is, but I know what a freakin' movement is….

— Will.i.am

Grammy-Winning Producer, Rapper & Innovator from Black Eyed Peas

Wine making is also alchemy, not everything is controllable – you are dealing with nature. There's a savage element to all of this. A great winemaker is an artist.

— Sam Neill

Actor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films

Authenticity- for me- is incredibly important. It's easy to spot the difference between acting and authentic performance- even though it may seem a contradiction in terms. When you're acting, 10% of you needs to be conscious of what you're doing, and 90% lost in the moment.

— Sam Neill

Actor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films