Improvisation is empowering because it welcomes the unknown. And since what's impossible is always unknown, it allows me to believe I can cheat the impossible. Philippe Petit More Quotes by Philippe Petit More Quotes From Philippe Petit If I die, what a beautiful death. Philippe Petit beautiful-death dies beautiful I have walked many times around the world and each time it's different from the last one. It feels a little bit like I am a theatrical director, creating a theatre in space. It's really a theater in the sky. But of course the World Trade Center is certainly the most well-known of my productions. Philippe Petit creating space sky The practical answer is, no it would be totally impossible for young or foreign people to get access to roof of a building that stands in the heart of a giant city and to put a cable across. Philippe Petit cities heart people Wirewalker, trust your feet! Let them lead you; they know the way. Philippe Petit feet knows way If I look at the performance of another friend Sting, whenever I hear him take over a stage and share his art with millions, it's very inspiring to me. So I have a lot in my life, a lot of friends who inspire me and I'm sure it goes the other way around, or so that I inspire them. Philippe Petit lots-of-friends inspire art I am very sensitive to all form of music, painting, sculpting, dancing, and I love cinema also. For example if I look at the work of the dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, who happens to be a friend of mine, everything he does is inspiring to me. Philippe Petit dancer dancing example I am the poet of the high wire - I never do stunts; I do theatrical performances. Philippe Petit stuntman wire poet I was not born into the world of the stuntman and the daredevil; I was born into the world of theater and writing and sculpting and classical music. Philippe Petit classical-music writing world When I perform outside, the major problem that could arise is strong wind.I spend months preparing for the types of wind that occur in different locations. Philippe Petit different strong wind I didn't want to just tell the story of the walk — I wanted the book to be the walk between cardboard covers. Philippe Petit top-news Notre Dame and Sydney - that was nothing. Notre Dame doesn't have a police station; it is not 1,000 or so feet high. It was a public structure, very easy to access. And Sydney Harbour Bridge was half-and-half: a bridge, in the middle of the night. The World Trade Center was the end of the world. Electronic devices, police dogs. Philippe Petit bridge police night world I needed more knowledge in rigging and knotting. I started collecting books on knots and really learning more and more. That's how it started. And also in magic, of course. With a piece of rope, you can do magic. Philippe Petit you magic learning knowledge Fame was never something I was seeking in my artistic journey. It's to be used as a tool for an artist to break open doors and keep creating. That's how I enjoyed fame in '74; it was not just for the emptiness of being famous. Philippe Petit never artist journey doors I, like everybody else, have a certain fear of heights, and I have to be very careful when I am in the clouds, but it is also what I love; it is my domain, so when you love something, you don't have fear. Philippe Petit i-am you fear love My journey has always been the balance between chaos and order. Philippe Petit always chaos balance journey To be able to create fully, it's maybe fine that you learn the rules, but you have to forget and to rebel against those rules. Philippe Petit rules you rebel forget The impossible - we are told - cannot be achieved. To overcome the 'impossible,' we need to use our wits and be fearless. We need to break the rules and to circumvent - some would one say to cheat. Philippe Petit rules say fearless impossible On the high wire, within months, I'm able to master all the tricks they do in the circus, except I am not satisfied. Philippe Petit high i-am circus satisfied I started putting a wire up in secret and performing without permission. Notre Dame, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the World Trade Center. And I developed a certitude, a faith that convinced me that I will get safely to the other side. If not, I will never do that first step. Philippe Petit step me faith world When a loved one disappears, you continue to live with the accompaniment of that person. One has to find a balance between joy and sorrow. Philippe Petit loved you balance joy
