69 Quotes by Esperanza Spalding

Whoever you are, if you know what you’re doing, you don’t want other people to overtake the merit of your art.

What I’m identifying with is the vision or the idea – whatever was the little nugget that started it.

When I read, you know, a rough neighborhood of Portland, I’m like – what? – they didn’t have kombucha bars there?

You don't have to be fearless to do anything; you can be scared out of your mind. I fear that I won't get better and that I won't have time to practice. To be called a 'jazz musician' - it's a big responsibility.

Your sanity is harder to get back than money or contacts. You are the magic. You are the art. You can't lose that.

There's nothing wrong with struggle. Anytime I look back at a difficult phase of my life and see what grew out of it - the creative survival tactics - I think that the good is way better than the bad.

I'm realizing now that I was always really curious about inviting people into a space and sharing information that way. But I didn't have any context for it. It was just fun because I was homeschooled and lonely and bored, and I'd do things to get people to come over.

You can grow up with literally nothing and you don't suffer if you know you're loved and valued.

I put my mother through a lot when I was a teenager. I used to lie a lot. Now, we talk all the time.