Jack White
I consider music to be storytelling, melody and rhythm. A lot of hip-hop has broken music down. There are no instruments and no songwriting. So you're left with just storytelling and rhythm. And the storytelling can be so braggadocious, you're just left with rhythm.Collection: Music
I keep guitars that are, you know, the neck's a little bit bent and it's a little bit out of tune. I want to work and battle it and conquer it and make it express whatever attitude I have at that moment. I want it to be a struggle.Collection: Attitude
Vinyl is the real deal. I've always felt like, until you buy the vinyl record, you don't really own the album. And it's not just me or a little pet thing or some kind of retro romantic thing from the past. It is still alive.Collection: Pet
That's what happens nowadays with people working on computers. They can so easily fix things with their mouse and take out all the, 'Oh, somebody coughed in the background; we need to take that out' - or somebody hit a bad note. Those are all the best moments.Collection: Computers
This generation is so dead. You ask a kid, 'What are you doing this Saturday?' and they'll be playing video games or watching cable, instead of building model cars or airplanes or doing something creative. Kids today never say, 'Man, I'm really into remote-controlled steamboats.'Collection: Car
Maybe we should all just listen to records and quit our jobsCollection: Jobs
Failure comes when we don't get back up and try again.Collection: Trying
Well, I sort of don't trust anybody who doesn't like Led Zeppelin.Collection: Music
Sometimes you just get in there and force yourself to work, and maybe something good will come out, ya know? Deadlines and things make you creative. Opportunity and telling yourself you have all the time in the world, all the money in the world, all the colors in the palette, anything you want-that just kills creativity.Collection: Creativity
There aren't that many things left that haven't already been done, especially with music. I'm interested in ideas that can shake us all up.Collection: Ideas
The secret is planning your work and working your plan. If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you arrive? You can't stumble upon your destination.Collection: Secret
Passion is the breath we take, the water we drink to sustain ourselves. Without air and water we perish; without passion an artist will wither and blow away.Collection: Passion
I don't feel very good about myself. People always leave me. Nobody can stand me for very long. I wish I could cut my tongue out, or take out the part of my brain that has opinions. Or cares. I wish I could be simple. Be quiet, introverted, or shy. I'm half way in between a wallflower at a party and Elvis Presley. People love one or the other. In between is no place to be.Collection: Party
I trust no one who hasn’t time for music.Collection: Trust No One
The main things to rebel against - over-production, too much technology, overthinking. It's a spoiled mentality; everything is too easy. If you want to record a song, you can buy Pro Tools and record four hundred guitar tracks. That leads to overthinking, which kills any spontaneity and the humanity of the performance.Collection: Song
Many days you will want to give up because of rejections and failures. Passion to be an artist will help you prevail where others fail.Collection: Giving Up
I think that sometimes love gets in the way of itself - you know, love interrupts itself. We want things so much that we sabotage them.Collection: Thinking
I want to be part of the resurgence of things that are tangible, beautiful and soulful, rather than just give in to the digital age. But when I talk to people about this they just say, 'Yeah, I know what you mean,' and stare at their mobiles.Collection: Birthday
Telling yourself you have all the time in the world, all the colors in the palette, that just kills creativity.Collection: Creativity
Nowadays, everybody assumes, when the wake up in the morning, if they have a question, it will get answered. Because they have the internet. No matter what the question is, someone will answer their question.Collection: Morning
It is the pursuit of happiness that brings us happiness, and not the happiness achieved.Collection: Pursuit Of Happiness
I'm one of those people that you have to keep your eye on or I'll wander off into the woods and forget to come back.Collection: Hate
The Eagle does not escape the storm. The Eagle simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It spreads its mighty wings and rises on the winds that bring the storm.Collection: Eagles
Happiness is more important than money any day.Collection: Important
I've always felt it's ridiculous to say, of any of the females in my life: You're my friend, you're my wife, you're my girlfriend, you're my co-worker. 'This is your box, and you're not allowed to stray outside of it.'Collection: Girlfriend
Life is simple unless we find a way to make it complicated.Collection: Simple
We don't have to live up to the expectations of others. Passion is personal. As long as our passion is fueled with the right stuff then keep on plodding forward. I'll never be Mark Twain or Tom Clancy. But that's okay, because neither of them could teach you to mix a boundless number of grays, or where to place the catch light in a portrait.Collection: Passion
I have never in my whole life asked for an autograph. It seems a little ... unnecessary.Collection: Littles
With the White Stripes we were trying to trick people into not realising we were playing the blues. We did not want to come off like white kids trying to play black music from 100 years ago so a great way to distract them was by dressing in red, white and black.Collection: Kids
There have been three times. Once I got in a car accident and shattered my finger. A few years ago I didn't feel like being alive. That's all I can say.Collection: Years
I gave myself over to music and art a long time ago, so I don't get to relax and I don't get to sit still. The best I can do is constantly create my own environment so it benefits what I need to accomplish in the next step.Collection: Art
You want to figure out how you want to play the guitar; what your niche would be. Well you just start digging deeper. When you're digging deeper in rock and roll you're on a freight train heading straight for the blues.Collection: Rocks
Inspiration and work ethic - they ride right next to each other.Collection: Inspiration
I don't like making my job easier. How are you accomplishing anything if there's no struggle? If I have to create a struggle that doesn't exist, I'll do that. Time and money constraints are a great way to do it.Collection: Struggle
Mastery is the rudder, Mystery is the sail and Magic the wind to move you in your chosen direction.Collection: Moving
Do not trust people who call themselves musicians or record collectors who say that they don’t like Bob Dylan or the Beatles. They do not love music if those words come out of their mouths.Collection: People
Our art is an adventure. It is a dream come true.Collection: Dream
Success is having a career that you love with every fiber in your body.Collection: Careers
If you don’t have a struggle inside or around you, you have to make one up.Collection: Struggle
The only person who is hurt by jealousy is you... Eliminate that word from your life... it may not make you unsuccessful selling your art, but it will destroy your happiness.Collection: Jealousy
I've always worked to find really deep meaning of song and also at the same time having it covered in sugar, so it can be taken two or three different ways.Collection: Song
I've always loved the word blunderbuss. I've always thought that it was a beautiful word and that it could mean several different things.Collection: Beautiful
If you're doing something that people want, they'll find you.Collection: People
When you know your work sells, then seeking a gallery or outdoor show is fine. Then, if an event or art gallery kicks sand in your face don't give up, keep moving forward. Use your brain and eliminate a lot of your personal agony. There are times when you should not take NO for an answer. But there are others when you should never put yourself in the place to be rejected to begin with. Seek the wisdom to know the difference and then go for it. Persevere in the face of disappointment.Collection: Art
Fifteen minutes of fame doesn't make a career. An article in a magazine, newspaper, interview on television or multiple print ads may stroke your ego, but nothing much else. An artist's career is a lifetime venture. Just because an artist is on top doesn't mean they are sheltered from a crash. As has been stated, the higher you climb, the harder you fall.Collection: Fall
Jesus Christ, is this an NPR convention?Collection: Jesus
I cannot judge what motivates people. We are all moved by one of four things or a combination of these four things: money, romance, recognition or survival.Collection: Motivation
Music is what I have to do, I only answer the questions so that I can do it.Collection: Answers
I came up from growing up with a lot of Catholic guilt, a lot of punk rock, hipster guilt in the later years where I think people have thrown a lot of things on me. Where I always felt like I'm not supposed to tell the horn section what to play or I don't want to come off egotistical.Collection: Growing Up