Quotes From Shonda Rhimes That Will Keep Us All Woke

Shonda has been an inspiration to Black women and women everywhere and we just wanted to celebrate her!

Shonda Rhimes is one of the most successful women in the TV/Entertainment industry. She is the creator, showrunner, head-writer and executive producer of some of televison’s most successful shows.

Shonda continues to dominate our TV screens, our hearts, social media and the ABC channel on Thursday nights when her series that are a part of TGIT (Thank God It’s Thursday segment airs. “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “How To Get Away With Murder,’ and the recently canceled series “The Catch,” were all part of the segment from 8 PM- 11 PM, all produced by ShondaLand, her production company.

What makes TGIT better is the fact that all four series have women as the protagonists who are in major roles of power and authority. They continue to depict that woman can be in dominant roles, be role models, and be their own boss. The series inspire men and women alike, to be their best selves, always.

In honor of the beauty, creativity, and powerhouse that is Shonda Rhimes, here are a few of her most badass quotes to inspire us all.

• “I don’t. … If I am at home sewing my kids’ Halloween costumes, I’m probably blowing off a rewrite I was supposed to turn in. If I am accepting a prestigious award, I am missing my baby’s first swim lesson. If I am at my daughter’s debut in her school musical, I am missing Sandra Oh‘s last scene ever being filmed at Grey’s Anatomy. If I am succeeding at one, I am inevitably failing at the other. That is the trade-off.” Rhimes answering the age-old “How do you do it all?” question during the Dartmouth Commencement speech.

• “I think in telling LGBT stories, I’m telling everyone’s story. Love is, in fact, universal, right? I want my daughters to grow up in a world in which there is more love than hate. I want them to know a world where everyone is free. So that’s why I write the stories that I do, because everyone should be free.”  2012 GLAAD speech

• “You want to be a writer? A writer is someone who writes every day, so start writing. You don’t have a job? Get one. Any job. Don’t sit at home waiting for the magical opportunity. Who are you? Prince William? No. Get a job. Go to work. Do something until you can do something else.” Dartmouth Commencement Speech

• “My father used to say to me, “The only limit to your success is your own imagination.” I actually believed that—like, I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I might not be an Olympic figure skater. I’m sure there are barriers. I have just chosen not to acknowledge them.”Fortune profile

• “I really hate the word ‘diversity.’ It suggests something…other. As if it is something special, or rare. Diversity! As if there is something unusual about telling stories involving women and people of color and LGBTQ characters on TV. I have a different word: normalizing. I’m normalizing TV. I am making TV look like the world looks. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people equal way more than 50 percent of the population. Which means it ain’t out of the ordinary.” Human Rights Campaign Gala speech

• “If you are a kid and you are out there and you are chubby and not so cute and nerdy and shy and invisible and in pain, whatever your race, whatever your gender, whatever your sexual orientation, I’m standing here to tell you: You are not alone. Your tribe of people, they are out there in the world. Waiting for you.” 2015 Human Rights Campaign Gala speech

• “Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” 2014 Dartmouth Commencement speech

• “I don’t know how this is going to come off sounding. I’m in a position of power where I run this world and handle this situation… If I’m going to make a crazy decision, then I better be damn sure. Because it’s not like anybody’s going to tell me, ‘You can’t do that.‘” NY Times profile

• “I think I’m most proud of the fact that I have figured out how to exist as both a creative person and artist, and a businesswoman and manager. Because those two things do not go together.” Oprah’s Next Chapter interview

• “I’m a black woman every day, and I’m not confused about that. I’m not worried about that. I don’t need to have a discussion with you about how I feel as a black woman, because I don’t feel disempowered as a black woman.” NY Times profile

Shonda is now expanding her wings and will be starting a next chapter of her life with Netflix. The new multi-year deal will allow Rhimes to create original content with the media conglomerate, advancing ShondaLand into various genres in the process. According to Variety, he made a statement saying “Shondaland’s move to Netflix is the result of a shared plan Ted Sarandos and I built based on my vision for myself as a storyteller and for the evolution of my company.Ted provides a clear, fearless space for creators at Netflix.” Shonda will be able to have flexible episode formats when working with Netflix and there will be more legroom for creativity. 

Let us all be thankful for Shonda and her beautiful mind! How else would we know that red wine and popcorn make a great dinner? Cheers to Shonda!

Check out her social media to stay updated!

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Twitter: @shondarhimes