Find a beautiful piece of art. If you fall in love with Van Gogh or Matisse or John Oliver Killens, or if you fall love with the music of Coltrane, the music of Aretha Franklin, or the music of Chopin – find some beautiful art and admire it, and realize that that was created by human beings just like you, no more human, no less.

Do not go gentle into that good night but rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.

You sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.

Sports are basically our way of feeling sorry for ourselves. Most men can’t become athletes. We’re watching guys who actually made it. We see them dunking and making touchdowns. Then we think about ourselves when we were younger.

I think my biggest musical hero growing up was probably Ian MacKaye. He set a great example for all of us local musicians. Still, to this day, I see him as the best example of a right-on musician.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

To me, the most important artists in my career are Arcangel and Balvin. Arcangel gave me the push, the respect in the streets.

There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.

You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.

I’ve never had writer’s block.

If I inspire you, pay for it, period.

Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.

All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.

That was always the difference between Muhammad Ali and the rest of us. He came, he saw, and if he didn’t entirely conquer – he came as close as anybody we are likely to see in the lifetime of this doomed generation.

A leader is a dealer in hope.

There’s so much about Dolly Parton that every female artist should look to, whether it’s reading her quotes or reading her interviews or going to one of her live shows. She’s been such an amazing example to every female songwriter out there.

One often makes music to supplement one’s world.

No matter what has happened to you in the past or what is going on in your life right now, it has no power to keep you from having an amazingly good future if you will walk by faith in God. God loves you! He wants you to live with victory over sin so you can possess His promises for your life today!

When I start to write, I don’t have any plan at all. I just wait for the story to come.

The art of acting consists in keeping people from coughing.

Actions are the seed of fate deeds grow into destiny.

I’m not a very creative person, you know? I’m not really an art person. I’m not a great reader or writer or artist or musician.

The influence of ‚Hidden Fortress‘ comes up a lot because it was printed in a book once. The truth is, the only thing I was inspired by was the fact that it’s told from the point of view of two peasants, who get mixed up with a samurai and princess and a lot of very high-level people.

The writing process, the way I go about it is I do whatever the beat feels like, whatever the beat is telling me to do. Usually when the beat comes on, I think of a hook or the subject I want to rap about almost instantly. Within four, eight bars of it playing I’m just like, ‚Oh, OK. This is what I wanna do‘.

Songwriting is my way of channeling my feelings and my thoughts. Not just mine, but the things I see, the people I care about. My head would explode if I didn’t get some of that stuff out.

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.

Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?

Green Eggs and Ham was the story of my life. I wouldn’t eat a thing when I was a kid, but Dr. Seuss inspired me to try cauliflower!

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.

What is true of the individual will be tomorrow true of the whole nation if individuals will but refuse to lose heart and hope.

I’m telling you there is hope. I have seen it, but it does not come from the governments or corporations. It comes from the people.

To do a dull thing with style-now that’s what I call art.

The future is called ‚perhaps‘, which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the important thing is not to allow that to scare you.

Many times, we miss out on God’s best because we give up too soon. We don’t realize how close we are to victory.

The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers.

We have listened too long to the courtly Muses of Europe.

You have to dream intentionally. Most people dream a dream when they are asleep. But to be a writer, you have to dream while you are awake, intentionally.

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.

I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.

Man’s only true happiness is to live in hope of something to be won by him. Reverence something to be worshipped by him, and love something to be cherished by him, forever.

When I inspire myself, I want to spread the word because its important to be healthy. I don’t think they’re teaching us enough about that. I think we should eat better and exercise. Look who’s saying that – a guy who was 300 pounds – but I’m doing a lot better than I used to. I’m letting people know its important because it makes you feel better.

Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.

If it weren’t for the Beatles, I would not be a musician.

Sleeping is no mean art: for its sake one must stay awake all day.

The poet, being an imitator like a painter or any other artist, must of necessity imitate one of three objects – things as they were or are, things as they are said or thought to be, or things as they ought to be. The vehicle of expression is language – either current terms or, it may be, rare words or metaphors.

A collection is not just one basic idea. It comes from something that is in the air, something you suddenly like and put down on paper and then work out.

Yes, and I can sit down on a white piece of paper and work because I don’t believe too much into inspiration, only I’m waiting for inspiration, work and then inspiration may come. It’s a little too easy to say that.

My mom cleaned toilets for a long time, and she’d seen a lot of terrible things, but she was still the strength of our family. And there are women like that all across the country – all around the world – who show that type of fortitude.

When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.

If thou art a man, admire those who attempt great things, even though they fail.

Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed.

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.

I became interested in folk music because I had to make it somehow.

The good part about youngsters is that they are so fearless. You want to be like them.

My dear friend, clear your mind of cant.

You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.

I suppose for me as an artist it wasn’t always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute in some way to the culture that I was living in. It just seemed like a challenge to move it a little bit towards the way I thought it might be interesting to go.

No pressure, no diamonds.

How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.

How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.