I felt like I was homeless anyway, so the change in environment wasn't that much of a big deal. I felt pretty much the same. After six months of living on the streets [in Camden], I started singing, busking. Benjamin Clementine More Quotes by Benjamin Clementine More Quotes From Benjamin Clementine I wasn't quite used to writing a diary - I didn't understand why people did it - but I wrote down notes and they went into a poem. Benjamin Clementine diaries writing people I started understanding William Blake and George Orwell more and more. It's amazing how we go to school when we're so young, read all of these books, just trying to memorize them. When you start to live, you don't have to memorize anything. Benjamin Clementine understanding book school Even if someone thinks there's a mistake I've made on the piano, to me it's not a mistake; it's how it's meant to be. Benjamin Clementine piano mistake thinking Composing was more difficult than writing things down. Benjamin Clementine writing-things-down difficult writing Confidence came from people. I think I'm very confident in me, as a human being. Benjamin Clementine humans people thinking In fact, I might be confident for the human race because of what the human race has given me. When I was in the street and bars, people always came up to me and said, "Don't stop, keep going." Benjamin Clementine race facts people I've always been shy, but every time that I sing or I perform, when music comes out of me, it is the only thing I can relate to, it's the only thing I can give. Benjamin Clementine relate shy giving I loved English literature - if didn't it would have been hard - but I had to learn it myself. I remembered ways to repeat words, to put more emphasis on certain lines. Benjamin Clementine lines literature way I was lucky to have read a lot of poetry when I was younger; it helped me to remember a way to write. Benjamin Clementine lucky writing way I like it when cities are melancholic. When it started snowing for example, I felt very lonely. I felt very comfortable and very relaxed. When that happens, I write. So I've been writing, not a lot, but I'm inspired everyday. Benjamin Clementine lonely cities writing William Blake is my favorite poet of all time, and he said that he wasn't quite familiar with the sounds of music. If so, he would have been a musician. Benjamin Clementine musician poet sound If I'm being forced to do something I don't want to do, my real self comes out. But whether or not I'm aware of it, no matter what happens, I'm always going to have a fake self and I'm not going to judge my fake self. Benjamin Clementine real judging self There's a part in every person that has a fake self. We've had this since infancy due to our parents and our upbringing. Benjamin Clementine fake parent self When you have a lot of fake selves, most of the time it's because you haven't had parents around so you try to build characters to protect yourself. Benjamin Clementine fake self character If you've got great parents, once you grow up and have to live by yourself, you're going to create some fake self as you get comfortable wherever you are. Benjamin Clementine fake growing-up self The experience that I had in Paris I could never have ever again in my life. This is when I grew up as a young man. I was independent. There was no one there to talk to; I didn't even want to talk to anyone. I started to write about what I was experiencing, and I had no choice, so I was never scared. Benjamin Clementine independent writing men When I started writing again, especially when I listened to French music and Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, I realized that these lots talked about themselves. The greatest artists, they didn't sing; they only spoke. Benjamin Clementine bob artist writing I know that New York is big, there are huge buildings, but in fact, it's quite small and contained. Benjamin Clementine building new-york facts I accept the fact that angels are great heavenly beings, and I think some people give me the feeling that I'm with an angel. Benjamin Clementine great me angel people The meaning of love is obviously huge - but for me, it means be nice to people, and people will be nice to you back. Love is a selfless place to be. There is no safer place to be than under the canopy of love. Benjamin Clementine me you love people
