--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I ended up becoming so self-conscious…" description: "\"I ended up becoming so self-conscious that my songs stopped being about my life and started being about what people thought of my music. And that was r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/liz-phair-5104_about_i-ended-up-becoming-so-self-conscious-th_38125.png" --- # I ended up becoming so self-conscious that my songs… ![“I ended up becoming so self-conscious that my songs stopped being about my life and started being about what people thought of my music. And that was really bad.” quote by Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/liz-phair-5104_about_i-ended-up-becoming-so-self-conscious-th_38125.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/liz-phair-5104_about_i-ended-up-becoming-so-self-conscious-th_38125.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/liz-phair-5104_about_i-ended-up-becoming-so-self-conscious-th_38125.png) > “I ended up becoming so self-conscious that my songs stopped being about my life and started being about what people thought of my music. And that was really bad.” [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist lost authenticity, shifting focus from personal expression to audience approval, which compromised creative integrity. **In simple terms:** Self-consciousness erodes genuine art. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal truth over external validation. Themes authenticity creative integrity self-consciousness audience pressure artistic identity Mood reflective cautious introspective Type personal advice observation When to use this quote - songwriting - performing - publishing - marketing - feedback loops Key Concepts self-awareness creative process validation identity Practical Applications - creative coaching - artist development Questions to Reflect On - How does external validation shape your work? - What steps can you take to reconnect with your original voice? A Different Perspective Some argue that audience awareness can sharpen craft, but excessive self-monitoring often stifles originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Self conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-conscious/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [It would be fun to go back and see where all my songs stopped, because I think I'd have every number in the top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gill/it-would-be-fun-to-go-back-and-see-where-all-my-songs-stopped-because/) [Vince Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gill/) > [So, anyway, I think the format of love songs for me stopped becoming about people and started becoming about life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/so-anyway-i-think-the-format-of-love-songs-for-me-stopped-becoming/) [Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/) > [There are still songs that I'm writing. I like to write. I like to take a long time to do my songs, not even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/there-are-still-songs-that-i-m-writing-i-like-to-write-i-like-to-take/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [But when I started writing songs, I stopped painting completely, and the only art things I do are connected to the career, like album…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ferry/but-when-i-started-writing-songs-i-stopped-painting-completely-and/) [Bryan Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ferry/) > [I don't know if music has ever achieved anything past appealing to the people that it appeals to. If a song could stop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-don-t-know-if-music-has-ever-achieved-anything-past-appealing-to/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I found myself at a time in my career trying to impress everyone. I was constantly thinking about what everyone thought of my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonreal/i-found-myself-at-a-time-in-my-career-trying-to-impress-everyone-i/) SonReal > [I thought music could take you to a place where you didn't even feel ownership of it, you just felt lucky you were there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-schultz/i-thought-music-could-take-you-to-a-place-where-you-didn-t-even-feel/) [Wesley Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-schultz/) > [I've always thought of music as something which gives the words their flight and their wings and the music often comes first, although sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/i-ve-always-thought-of-music-as-something-which-gives-the-words-their/) [Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/) > [Music is cyclical, but I've never thought of the music I make as being so off the wall or left field that it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-squier/music-is-cyclical-but-i-ve-never-thought-of-the-music-i-make-as-being/) [Billy Squier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-squier/) > [You can get into anything if you are determined. I always thought that with music, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/you-can-get-into-anything-if-you-are-determined-i-always-thought-that/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-make-you-think-a-thought-music-makes-you-feel-a-feeling-a-song/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dabbling in music and being in music when I was young I had my own view of what I thought music was whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakim/dabbling-in-music-and-being-in-music-when-i-was-young-i-had-my-own/) [Rakim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakim/) > [“Music was a kind of penetration. Perhaps absorption is a less freighted word. The penetration or absorption of everything into itself. I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/music-was-a-kind-of-penetration-perhaps-absorption-is-a-less/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Music is going to go in some direction that is entirely inconceivable now. If someone had been asked twenty years ago what direction they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-yauch/music-is-going-to-go-in-some-direction-that-is-entirely-inconceivable/) [Adam Yauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-yauch/) > [I realized that music was the only thing I really thought about - music and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tierra-whack/i-realized-that-music-was-the-only-thing-i-really-thought-about-music/) [Tierra Whack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tierra-whack/) ## More by Liz Phair > [I mean, I think about it, but I don't design my record to get a certain public response.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-mean-i-think-about-it-but-i-don-t-design-my-record-to-get-a-certain/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I can't say I don't get nervous, but I really kind of enjoy performing now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-can-t-say-i-don-t-get-nervous-but-i-really-kind-of-enjoy-performing/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I always give the encore over to chaos, so people can yell out requests and I can hack my way through a song that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-always-give-the-encore-over-to-chaos-so-people-can-yell-out/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I love scoring. Putting music to picture is a rewarding challenge and one that relies on interpretation of emotion - as in, what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-love-scoring-putting-music-to-picture-is-a-rewarding-challenge-and/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I'm known for being annoyingly gender-focused. It's always been my platform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-m-known-for-being-annoyingly-gender-focused-it-s-always-been-my/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [That's exactly what's exciting for me - the idea of infiltrating the male structure and affecting change from within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/that-s-exactly-what-s-exciting-for-me-the-idea-of-infiltrating-the/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I knew that collaborating on songwriting would be difficult for a lot of people, because I was known very much, for my independence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-knew-that-collaborating-on-songwriting-would-be-difficult-for-a-lot/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [It's important to have people who will say to you that you're really off the beaten track.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/it-s-important-to-have-people-who-will-say-to-you-that-you-re-really/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [When you love what you do, you're happy just doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/when-you-love-what-you-do-you-re-happy-just-doing-it/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I don't like being approached by people who look at me too intensely, who needed something from me that I didn't have. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-don-t-like-being-approached-by-people-who-look-at-me-too-intensely/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [Just to prove i was right that it's harder to be friends than lovers and you shouldn't try and mix the two, cause if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/just-to-prove-i-was-right-that-it-s-harder-to-be-friends-than-lovers/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I was raised to be a very intelligent housewife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-was-raised-to-be-a-very-intelligent-housewife/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [Picture being forced to talk endlessly about your feelings and listen and care when what you needed was just to get something done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/picture-being-forced-to-talk-endlessly-about-your-feelings-and-listen/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [I'm just out of touch with new music in general, and I only know about it if I'm hanging out with someone that knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/i-m-just-out-of-touch-with-new-music-in-general-and-i-only-know-about/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) > [Wearing a veneer of perfection never did me any good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-phair/wearing-a-veneer-of-perfection-never-did-me-any-good/) [Liz Phair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) [Explore all 103 Liz Phair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-phair/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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