---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even though I was very shy, I found I…"
description: "\"Even though I was very shy, I found I could get onstage if I had a new identity.\" — David Bowie"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/981/david-bowie-508_could_even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-cou_2973452.jpg"
---

#  Even though I was very shy, I found I could get onstage if…

![“Even though I was very shy, I found I could get onstage if I had a new identity.” quote by David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/981/david-bowie-508_could_even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-cou_2973452.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/981/david-bowie-508_could_even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-cou_2973452.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/981/david-bowie-508_could_even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-cou_2973452.jpg)

> “Even though I was very shy, I found I could get onstage if I had a new identity.”

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Adopting a new persona can help overcome shyness and enable confident performance onstage.

**In simple terms:** A new identity boosts confidence for public performance.

Key Takeaway

Use role-play to build stage confidence.

Themes

confidence identity performance

Mood

empowered anxious

Type

motivational reflective

When to use this quote

- theatre auditions
- corporate presentations
- social events
- networking
- teaching

Key Concepts

self-presentation social anxiety persona public speaking

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you balance authenticity with role experimentation?
- When does a new identity become a mask?

A Different Perspective

May create dependency on external personas, limiting authentic self-expression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm someone who is quite shy, and onstage I'm quite... extrovert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jain/i-m-someone-who-is-quite-shy-and-onstage-i-m-quite-extrovert/)

[Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jain/)

> [The best thing about theatre is that every time we get onstage, the show is new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lachanze/the-best-thing-about-theatre-is-that-every-time-we-get-onstage-the/)

[LaChanze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lachanze/)

> [Glam really did plant seeds for a new identity. I think a lot of kids needed that - that sense of reinvention. Kids learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/glam-really-did-plant-seeds-for-a-new-identity-i-think-a-lot-of-kids/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I am basically a shy person, so performing sometimes helps me focus - having all those people concentrate their attention on you. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gordon/i-am-basically-a-shy-person-so-performing-sometimes-helps-me-focus/)

[Kim Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gordon/)

> [It makes me sad when I see artists who come alive when they go onstage, because, gee, I really come alive when I'm home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/it-makes-me-sad-when-i-see-artists-who-come-alive-when-they-go/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I spent a lot of my childhood moving around, so I was constantly adjusting to different environments and finding a new identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-mendes/i-spent-a-lot-of-my-childhood-moving-around-so-i-was-constantly/)

[Camila Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-mendes/)

> [You have to be willing to go to war with yourself and create a whole new identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-goggins/you-have-to-be-willing-to-go-to-war-with-yourself-and-create-a-whole/)

[David Goggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-goggins/)

> [It's very exciting to feel like a different woman with a new identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinny-woodall/it-s-very-exciting-to-feel-like-a-different-woman-with-a-new-identity/)

[Trinny Woodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinny-woodall/)

> [I never thought of myself as special or particularly good at anything. But once I started ballet, suddenly I had a new identity: prodigy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-never-thought-of-myself-as-special-or-particularly-good-at-anything/)

[Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/)

> [“I want a complete transformation. I need a new identity. I yearn for a chance to let go of all fear, the negative self-image,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoir-ou-chad/i-want-a-complete-transformation-i-need-a-new-identity-i-yearn-for-a/)

[Anoir Ou-Chad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoir-ou-chad/)

> [The very fact of calling us Indians creates a new identity for us, an identity that began with their arrival. Changing identity, creating a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/the-very-fact-of-calling-us-indians-creates-a-new-identity-for-us-an/)

[John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/)

> [I feel if the Punjabi cinema is experimenting, I should also at least try and do roles which create a new identity with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammy-virk/i-feel-if-the-punjabi-cinema-is-experimenting-i-should-also-at-least/)

[Ammy Virk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ammy-virk/)

> [“Drastic change creates an estrangement from the self, and generates a need for a new birth of a new identity. And it perhaps depends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-gerber/drastic-change-creates-an-estrangement-from-the-self-and-generates-a/)

[Michael E. Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-gerber/)

> [“You can see in the table of contents how this will play out, but we’re going to frame our discussion around four fundamental questions:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rankin-wilbourne/you-can-see-in-the-table-of-contents-how-this-will-play-out-but-we-re/)

[Rankin Wilbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rankin-wilbourne/)

> [“Yet when we do manage to create ourselves anew, isn’t there always a suspicion that the new identity fits over the old like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/yet-when-we-do-manage-to-create-ourselves-anew-isn-t-there-always-a/)

[Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/)

## More by David Bowie

> [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [No more free steps to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/no-more-free-steps-to-heaven/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I'm not sure whether it is me changing my mind, or whether I lie a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-not-sure-whether-it-is-me-changing-my-mind-or-whether-i-lie-a-lot/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I do some kind of work, whether writing or painting or recording, on a daily basis. And it's so essential that when I'm involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-do-some-kind-of-work-whether-writing-or-painting-or-recording-on-a/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/to-not-be-modest-about-it-you-ll-find-that-with-only-a-couple-of/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I went mainstream in a major way with the song "Let's Dance." And what I found I had done was put a box around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-went-mainstream-in-a-major-way-with-the-song-let-s-dance-and-what-i/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [“Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe Put your ray gun to my head Press your space face close to mine, love Freak out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/keep-your-lectric-eye-on-me-babe-put-your-ray-gun-to-my-head-press/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-in-awe-of-the-universe-but-i-don-t-necessarily-believe-there-s-an/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [TV has eaten up everything else, and Warhol films are all that are left, which is fabulous. Pork could become the next I Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/tv-has-eaten-up-everything-else-and-warhol-films-are-all-that-are/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [“My brain hurt like a warehouse It had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/my-brain-hurt-like-a-warehouse-it-had-no-room-to-spare-i-had-to-cram/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-suppose-for-me-as-an-artist-it-wasn-t-always-just-about-expressing/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [... And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-these-children-that-you-spit-on-as-they-try-to-change-their/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I think the first song I ever wrote ... was called "Can't Help Thinking About Me." That's an illuminating little piece, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-think-the-first-song-i-ever-wrote-was-called-can-t-help-thinking/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I've come to the realizations that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-ve-come-to-the-realizations-that-i-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-i-m/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-never-really-felt-like-a-rock-singer-or-a-rock-star-or-whatever/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

[Explore all 508 David Bowie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

## More Could quotes

> [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/)

[David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/)

> [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/)

[Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/)

> [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/)

[Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/)

[Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/)

> [Some would call me an environmentalist. I don't know why. I reuse the water that falls in my backyard in the winter. I reuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/some-would-call-me-an-environmentalist-i-don-t-know-why-i-reuse-the/)

[Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/)

> [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/)

[George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/)

> [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/)

[Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/)

> [I don't think Joe Louis could take the punches today fighting in this era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-holmes/i-don-t-think-joe-louis-could-take-the-punches-today-fighting-in-this/)

[Larry Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-holmes/)

> [What a gift it would be if every child in the country could hear a professional orchestra at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/what-a-gift-it-would-be-if-every-child-in-the-country-could-hear-a/)

[Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/)

> [If my wisdom could get support from officials, I think society would move forward 20 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-guangbiao/if-my-wisdom-could-get-support-from-officials-i-think-society-would/)

[Chen Guangbiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-guangbiao/)

> [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/)

[W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/)

> [One of the mistakes I made was thinking chickens and penguins could sing, just like all the other animals in the 'Muppets.' But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-mckenzie/one-of-the-mistakes-i-made-was-thinking-chickens-and-penguins-could/)

[Bret McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-mckenzie/)

> [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/)

[Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/)

> [I studied philosophy and ended on sociology. For some reason, all the advanced courses in philosophy were offered 4:30 to 6:30, so I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-jackson/i-studied-philosophy-and-ended-on-sociology-for-some-reason-all-the/)

[Lawrence Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-jackson/)

Browse all 8,032 Could quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Even though I was very shy, I found I could get onstage if I had a new identity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Bowie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-could-get-onstage-if-i-had-a-new/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Could"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-could-get-onstage-if-i-had-a-new/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/981/david-bowie-508_could_even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-cou_2973452.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/981/david-bowie-508_could_even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-cou_2973452.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/981/david-bowie-508_could_even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-cou_2973452.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Even though I was very shy, I found I could get onstage if I had a new identity.” — David Bowie",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Bowie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Even though I was very shy,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-could-get-onstage-if-i-had-a-new/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/even-though-i-was-very-shy-i-found-i-could-get-onstage-if-i-had-a-new/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
