Quote Worthy or Worthy Quotes

There are post-it notes on my desktop, tack board, calendar, monitor, and in my day minder. Many of them are lists of things to do and not forget, which I throw away with relish when completed. But the ones with the curled edges, that stay and stay, are the quotes that touched me.

"No one else has your unique voice. Cultivate it." (good advice for a writer, eh?)
"Write the story for yourself. Your story. Not for others."
"The imagination is the highest kite you can fly." ~Lauren Bacall 
"Surrender to the work. No agenda. Discover the story. Be receptive. Be willing to fail. Cool & detached." (see a theme, here? I have to remind myself to let the muse run with it...)

I was talking to my son the other day, who is an adult and a savvy business man. He said, "Mom, there's a difference between goal and dream." That's probably not verbatim but it's close. He's becoming more pragmatic as he ages, and frankly I think I may be more of a dreamer. What came to mind when he said that was Mark Twain's quote, "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind...it doesn't matter."

Nietche said "Be who you are."

I used to have a huge file of quotes and funny quips, but I don't know what I've done with it. (Must be time to clean my office. <sigh>) Whenever the muse was MIA I'd pop open that folder and pick out something and USUALLY it resonated with me and got me thinking and words began for form. Quotes and poetry are a good way to explore free writing, which is  a great tool when you're blocked or just getting started with a project.

"Well behaved women rarely make history."~Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (one of my favorites that inspire some of the feisty women characters in my books)

"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise to the writer, no surprise to the reader."~Robert Frost (definitely a good thing for writers to remember)

What quotes inspire or motivate you?