Creativity Quote by Ethel Merman

There is a whole philosophy of showbiz thrift hiding in that throwaway line: don’t start with the obvious, start with the overlooked. Ethel Merman, a performer built on volume, velocity, and unapologetic presence, points her instincts not toward “antiques” or “collectibles” but toward junk jewelry: cheap sparkle, loud design, and a certain brassy honesty about wanting to be seen. It’s a shopping habit that doubles as an aesthetic manifesto.

The specific intent is practical - the best finds go fast - but the subtext is class-savvy and performance-savvy. Junk jewelry is costume, not heirloom. It’s glamour without pedigree, the kind you can pile on and make work through sheer confidence. That maps neatly onto Merman’s own brand: she wasn’t selling intimacy or fragility; she sold impact. She understood that a little shine, aggressively worn, can read as power.

Context matters. Merman’s era worshiped polish, yet it was also an age when women in entertainment were expected to manufacture dazzle on command. Flea markets are the backstage of consumer culture; junk tables are the racks where a persona gets assembled. By “always” heading there first, she’s admitting a professional reflex: hunt the raw materials of transformation. It’s also a sly democratizing move. The diva myth says luxury; Merman quietly says scavenging - and makes it sound like strategy, not compromise.