You can't always trust what you think, what you know ... but you can always trust your nature.

You can't always trust what you think, what you know ... but you can always trust your nature.

Ann Patchett

Racism tears down your insides so that no matter what you achieve, you're not quite up to snuff.

Racism tears down your insides so that no matter what you achieve, you're not quite up to snuff.

I wanted to explore black culture, and I wanted that culture to be a revelation.

I wanted to explore black culture, and I wanted that culture to be a revelation.

Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.

Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.

But the dance speaks to everyone. Otherwise, it wouldn't work.

But the dance speaks to everyone. Otherwise, it wouldn't work.

The creative process is not controlled by a switch you can simply turn on or off; it's with you all the time.

The creative process is not controlled by a switch you can simply turn on or off; it's with you all the time.

One of the processes of your life is to constantly break down that inferiority, to constantly reaffirm that I Am Somebody.

One of the processes of your life is to constantly break down that inferiority, to constantly reaffirm that I Am Somebody.

To be who you are and become what you are capable of is the only goal worth living.

To be who you are and become what you are capable of is the only goal worth living.

There are, of course, people who didn't create the trouble they're in, but lots of them do.

There are, of course, people who didn't create the trouble they're in, but lots of them do.

There was no one clear point of loss. It happened over and over again in a thousand small ways and the only truth there was to learn was that there was no getting used to it.

There was no one clear point of loss. It happened over and over again in a thousand small ways and the only truth there was to learn was that there was no getting used to it.

You throw a person in the river and then make a spectacle of jumping in to save them.

You throw a person in the river and then make a spectacle of jumping in to save them.

Everyone knows everything eventually.

Everyone knows everything eventually.

He used to say we all had a compass inside of us and what we needed to do was to find it and to follow it.

He used to say we all had a compass inside of us and what we needed to do was to find it and to follow it.

Using your imagination is the one time in life you can really go anywhere.

Using your imagination is the one time in life you can really go anywhere.

Art stands on the shoulders of craft, which means that to get to the art, you must master the craft.

Art stands on the shoulders of craft, which means that to get to the art, you must master the craft.

Sometimes love does not have the most honorable beginnings, and the endings, the endings will break you in half. It's everything in between we live for.

Sometimes love does not have the most honorable beginnings, and the endings, the endings will break you in half. It's everything in between we live for.

It's easier to love a woman when you can't understand a word she's saying.

It's easier to love a woman when you can't understand a word she's saying.

You can’t control what other people think about your art. Think about the part of yourself that you can control, which is your ability to be kind and loving and creative.

You can’t control what other people think about your art. Think about the part of yourself that you can control, which is your ability to be kind and loving and creative.

Why is it that we understand playing the cello will require work, but we attribute writing to the magic of inspiration?

Why is it that we understand playing the cello will require work, but we attribute writing to the magic of inspiration?