Carrie Brownstein Quotes

Powerful Carrie Brownstein for Daily Growth

About Carrie Brownstein

Carrie Rachel Brownstein (born August 27, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actress, and comedian, best known as a co-founder of the indie rock band Sleater-Kinney and for her work on the IFC sketch comedy Portlandia. Born in Seattle, Washington, Brownstein's Jewish family moved to San Diego when she was young. She attended Orange County High School of the Arts, where she developed a passion for music and performance. Influenced by punk rock bands like Bikini Kill and 7 Year Bitch, Brownstein formed Sleater-Kinney in 1994 with Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss. The band gained critical acclaim for their feminist lyrics and dynamic sound, releasing several influential albums throughout the '90s and '00s. In addition to her musical career, Brownstein co-created and starred in Portlandia, an IFC sketch comedy series that ran from 2011 to 2018, earning her critical acclaim and multiple Emmy nominations. She has also contributed to numerous publications, including The Believer, The Rumpus, and Spin Magazine. In 2015, Brownstein published her memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, which details her experiences growing up as a queer woman in the Pacific Northwest and her journey with Sleater-Kinney. The book was met with critical acclaim, landing on several bestseller lists and winning the 2016 Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. Today, Brownstein continues to make music with Sleater-Kinney, and her work remains influential in the realms of feminism, punk rock, comedy, and literature.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I think that's the beauty of music and art in general - you can interpret it however you want."

This quote emphasizes the subjective nature of artistic interpretation, suggesting that every individual has the freedom to understand and perceive music (or any form of art) as they see fit. It implies that no single interpretation holds an absolute truth, rather each personal perspective adds to the richness and depth of the artistic experience.


"A lot of my humor comes from a sense of frustration or exasperation."

This quote indicates that Carrie Brownstein's sense of humor often stems from feelings of annoyance or exaggeration with situations, experiences, or people she encounters in life. It suggests that her humor is rooted in a coping mechanism to navigate through challenges or discomforts, finding the funny side of otherwise stressful or irritating circumstances. This perspective can help us understand how comedians and artists often use their work as a means of processing and expressing emotions, especially those related to frustration or exasperation.


"Sometimes I feel like an imposter, but then I remind myself that there is no one way to be anything."

This quote by Carrie Brownstein emphasizes the idea that there isn't a single definition or mold for what it means to 'be' anything - whether it's a profession, a person, or an identity. It speaks to feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt, often referred to as "imposter syndrome," and encourages readers to challenge these feelings by recognizing diversity in experiences and expressions. The message is empowering, encouraging individuals to embrace their unique paths and not compare themselves to others when defining who they are.


"I think we're always trying to define ourselves in relation to other people and other things."

This quote emphasizes that human beings often seek self-identity and understanding through comparison with others or external elements. We constantly strive to determine our individuality, values, beliefs, and characteristics by observing and contrasting ourselves with those around us, as well as various situations, ideas, or objects in the world. This process helps us develop a sense of personal identity, but it can also lead to self-doubt or feelings of inadequacy if we fail to measure up to our perceived ideals or expectations.


"You don't have to fit into a mold or adhere to any specific rules to be considered valid."

This quote encourages individuality and self-expression, emphasizing that one doesn't need to conform to societal norms or expectations to be accepted and valued. It suggests that each person has the freedom to define their own identity without being constrained by rigid rules or stereotypes. The message is about embracing authenticity and uniqueness in oneself, which can lead to a more fulfilling and genuine life experience.


When the band first started, it was so much about carving out some space for myself and our audience and our songs.

- Carrie Brownstein

Myself, Audience, Some, Carving

I've been trying to immerse myself in the narratives of other people. I try to not isolate myself as much. It is really hard. People that are sensitive, you just feel too porous sometimes. There's this inertia that sets in, and it's hard to get out of bed. I think knowing that other people go through it is really reassuring.

- Carrie Brownstein

Bed, Through, Been, Reassuring

I feel like I live a pretty quiet life. I like to focus on work and friends, and I love being in nature.

- Carrie Brownstein

Love, Pretty, Like, Quiet Life

I'm pretty horrible at relationships and haven't been in many long-term ones. Leaving and moving on - returning to a familiar sense of self-reliance and autonomy - is what I know; that feeling is as comfortable and comforting as it might be for a different kind of person to stay.

- Carrie Brownstein

Moving On, Comforting, Been, Autonomy

One of my earliest childhood memories is my father taking me in the evening to Samena Swim & Recreation Club in Bellevue.

- Carrie Brownstein

Father, Childhood, Earliest, Club

I'm such a big fan of 'The Bachelor.'

- Carrie Brownstein

Big, Bachelor, Fan, Big Fan

I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.

- Carrie Brownstein

Artist, Cook, More, Sew

'Wii Music' elevates the scope of music video games by moving beyond commentary on what music is - as 'Rock Band' and 'Guitar Hero' do - to suggesting what it could be. Yet I'm still left wondering: Couldn't it be more?

- Carrie Brownstein

Hero, Beyond, Video, Commentary

There was a clarity to the Nineties. It was pre-9/11, before that anxiety kicked in that exists right now about the financial crisis or terrorism. We were all just going to move forward into the millennium and everything was always going to get better. Then, whoops, that didn't happen.

- Carrie Brownstein

Before, Financial Crisis, Kicked

Nutty fans are fine with me, as I have no known nut allergy. In general, though, it's best to carry an EpiPen to deal with outbreaks of fan nuttiness.

- Carrie Brownstein

Deal, Allergy, Though, Nutty

In the high-stakes and elitist world of music collecting and fandom, we operate from an ab ovo perspective. The seed, the first incarnation - that is the most pure, the most lauded. Minutemen trumps Firehose, Throwing Muses beats Belly, Joy Division over New Order, Operation Ivy ruled Rancid, Undertones instead of That Petrol Emotion.

- Carrie Brownstein

Seed, Pure, Belly, Operation

To me, it's exciting that women are dominating the pop charts.

- Carrie Brownstein

Exciting, Pop, Charts, Dominating

I think people would describe a lot of Sleater-Kinney as unsettling. And I don't think our best moments have sonic assonance to them. I think that we are best with a little bit of... a caustic attitude and tone.

- Carrie Brownstein

Think, Tone, I Think, Sonic

So much of my intention with songs is to voice a continual dissatisfaction, or at least to claw my way out of it.

- Carrie Brownstein

Voice, Songs, Least, Dissatisfaction

With Rock Band, you can play along to Black Sabbath or Nirvana and possibly find new ways of appreciating their artistry by being allowed to perform parallel to it. Rock Band puts you inside the guts of a song.

- Carrie Brownstein

Play, Artistry, Sabbath, Parallel

One summer, when I was elementary-school age, my neighbors and I built guitars and keyboards out of scrap wood, painted them in bright colors, and formed the cover band Lil' 'D' Duran Duran. We didn't make our own noise or even pretend to play our fake instruments.

- Carrie Brownstein

Play, Own, Painted, Keyboards

I read a lot; fiction and non-fiction are the mediums I find most edifying and inspiring. I watch movies and listen to music and take lots and lots of walks. Nature is a nice reset button for me, it's how I get a lot of thinking done.

- Carrie Brownstein

Thinking, Fiction, Inspiring, Mediums

I really like sardonicism and wit. I love the writing of Joy Williams and Lorrie Moore. I like Tina Fey, Amy Schumer.

- Carrie Brownstein

Love, Wit, Like, Tina

I felt like power meant that you had to be engaged in a certain kind of struggle by force of movement and battle - and that's very exhausting. Now, power is more about certainty and stillness and realizing that the infrastructures that we gather around and worship are the least powerful things.

- Carrie Brownstein

Engaged, Very, About, Realizing

There comes a time as you continue to write and work on scripts and screenplays where you realize that you have opinions about the next step of the process, and you kind of want more control over the translation from page to screen.

- Carrie Brownstein

Next, About, Screenplays, Translation

I really feel like social media - it's like all these tiny stages that you put yourself on. And you come to rely on these likes and favorites, and it's this applause and this validation that you start to need. Then it's like you don't know how to soothe yourself, and I think it's very pernicious.

- Carrie Brownstein

I Think, Very, Favorites, Stages

I will say, as a woman, when you put a mustache on, you find out a lot of things about yourself.

- Carrie Brownstein

Woman, Will, About, Mustache

I don't think I would live outside of the Northwest. I think the quality of life in Portland is really good. People move from intense, high-powered jobs, and move to Portland, work half as much and live twice as good.

- Carrie Brownstein

I Think, Northwest, Half, Portland

From the ashes of Bauhaus, Love and Rockets transformed its grandiosity and excesses into boldness and virtuosity. Plus, it wasn't afraid of a catchy hook or two.

- Carrie Brownstein

Love, Ashes, Rockets, Catchy

When my father came out to his mom, my grandmother said, 'You waited for your father to die; why couldn't you have waited for me to die?' I knew then that I never want to contribute to the corrosiveness of wanting someone to stay hidden.

- Carrie Brownstein

Die, Hidden, Wanting, Waited

Grief is sort of the allowance of feeling.

- Carrie Brownstein

Grief, Feeling, Sort, Allowance

I think that art, and making music or comedy, is a way of positing yourself on the map and then trying to find other people out there with you.

- Carrie Brownstein

Art, Think, Making, Map

In the early and mid 1990s, every musician I knew was obsessed with Helium. The 'Pirate Prude' EP and 'Pat's Trick' played on repeat at nearly every gathering I attended. And we didn't just listen to these records - we discussed them, the worlds they opened, novelistic and strange.

- Carrie Brownstein

Pirate, Records, Worlds, Prude

When I was 16, 17 years old, I became aware of music coming out of Olympia, Wash., which is the state capitol and about an hour south of Seattle. And there were bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile and Heavens To Betsy, and for the first time, I heard my story being explained to me, being sung to me.

- Carrie Brownstein

About, Became, South, Bikini

Much of the music I remember from camp was unofficial: the songs a counselor would play for us on acoustic guitar or that an older camper would sing after telling us a tale of his hard-knock life. We couldn't get enough of 'One Tin Soldier' or 'Cat's in the Cradle.'

- Carrie Brownstein

Play, I Remember, Telling, Tin

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