38 Quotes by Daniel Johnston

Listen up and I’ll tell a story about an artist growing old. Some would try for fame and glory; others aren’t so bold.

I believe in God, and I certainly believe in the devil. There’s certainly a devil, and he knows my name.

The sun don’t shine in your TV!

I’ve got something to live for, because I always wanted to be an artist; I always wanted to be famous.

For the longest time I was afraid I’d have to keep on working at the factories. There was a steel mill and a pottery; if you didn’t go to college, you went to work in those places.

When I was writing songs, I always thought I’d make more of a career out of the drawings, the comics even more than the music.

I believe in spiritualism. It’s like, when you listen to music or something and then you’re sort of primed. If you’re an artist, you’re sort of primed and inspired, and you start drawing, you sort of have the spirit of what you’re listening to, still in you. You just have sort of an inspiration.

I wish I had never got manic depression. When I was in junior high, I didn’t know what was the matter with me. It was as if I’d died or something. Now that I go to a clinic and get the right kind of medicine, I am not as depressed as I used to be.

When I’m doing a drawing, I get lots of ideas I use them in my songs, even. I do a lot of drawings because that’s where I get most of my spending cash and I just always have to have new records, to get something to satisfy my listening pleasure.