In Her Own Words: 9 Inspiring Quotes from Kim Novak

Confession time…

When contemplating what to write for this special celebratory blogathon, I was quite stumped. I’ve written twice about Picnic (1955), one of my all time favorites, reviewed Kim’s book which features her spellbinding art and poetry. Yet at the moment I lacked the mental bandwidth to commit to Vertigo (1958), one of my other favorites.

So what’s Plan C?

Well, why not feature Kim without any of the smoke and mirrors. Why not let her tell her story in her own words? And that’s exactly what this post is – an unvarnished look at Kim – the way she has always yearned to be seen.

I hope these quotes bring light into your day as they have into mine.

I’m lucky enough to live on a river, where there’s always something wonderful and new coming along with the flow. Sure, I have my regrets sometimes, but when I look at life, and the river flowing, I feel nothing but joy in knowing that I’ve chosen the right path–and I didn’t need to cut down any trees to do it.

My father is a quiet, gentle man with definite personal convictions and beliefs. He taught me the immense importance of strong family ties and family unity. When I was a little girl he used to tell my sister and me the Aesop fables, each with its particular moral. One of his favorites was “The Four Oxen and the Lion” and I liked it, too, because it was all about courage in the face of danger.

“For every answer, I like to bring up a question. Maybe I’m related to Alfred Hitchcock or maybe I got to know him too well, but I think life should be that way.”

You can get lured into loving yourself too much. That’s why I left Hollywood. I didn’t want to get into all of that. I didn’t want to lose myself. I needed to leave to save myself. I like who I am, even with the suffering you go through, even with the fact that when you’re vulnerable you feel everything so intensely.

If you want to live on the edge of life, you need to be flexible.

I would just say hold out for what you believe in, and don’t be afraid to express yourself. Don’t let people try to change you, because in the long run, if you keep trying to do what everyone else thinks is right, it’s not. You’ve got to do what you believe. Shakespeare was so right: ‘This above all, to thine own self be true.’

I don’t keep track of time…if I did, I’d be an old woman!

I find my art is very prolific since my husband passed. I have a sense of him looking over my shoulder and watching me with that little smile on his face.

Painting a picture of him felt like we could still communicate in a warm and intimate way. It made me feel less lonely.

You have to be patient. Don’t be afraid to let those emotions out and then let go.

I’ve lived a long, rich life and the wonders of Nature have allowed my eyes to retain their innocence to experience things for the first time. There is so much of life that still touches me profoundly, and if I can touch someone else along the way, in my own way, I can’t imagine any better reward!

This post is part of The Kim Novak Blogathon: A 90th Birthday Celebration hosted by yours truly! Head on over to the main event for the fabulous entries featuring this special lady.