INSPIRATION.

letter from Martha Graham to Agnes DeMille:

There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.

And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable it is nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.

You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you.

Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive.

[thank you MC, AR, MLP, & MG]

“Type out your five favorite quotations and place them where you can see them every day.”

~Life’s Little Instruction Calendar Vol. III~



“When I wake up in the morning, I want the day to begin already. There’s no dread. And if there is, that’s just part of the day- you deal with it. Nothing’s going to stop me. Nothing.”

~Linda Hamilton, actress~

1991



“Climb every mountain, ford every stream,
follow every rainbow, ‘til you find your dream.”

~The Sound of Music~

1959 Broadway musical, 1965 movie, and my mom’s high school class song



“Rainbows are people whose lives are bright, shining examples for others.”

~Maya Angelou, poet~

from Hallmark’s Life Mosaic cards, 2001



“The people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies in the field, perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold us.”

~Oswald Chambers, minister ~

“My Utmost for His Highest,” quoted by Heather Whitestone, the first deaf Miss America, in her memoir Listening With the Heart



“He was a man who was comfortable in his own skin, and I think the more people we see who conduct creative, fruitful lives with little or no drama or fanfare, the more people will say, ‘I can be that way. I can be happy.’”

~Stephen Huvane, writer~

about photographer Herb Ritts (1952-2002), The Advocate magazine, 2-4-03



“Dip your brush in sunshine and keep painting away.”

~Fannie Flagg, writer~

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, 1987 book, p. 234



“I keep my ideals because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

~Anne Frank, diarist~

quoted in Wisdom of Women book



Don Quixote: “It’s true – I am guilty of being an idealist. I’ve never had the courage to believe in nothing.”

~Man of La Mancha, movie~

1972 musical starring Peter O’Toole, written by Dale Wasserman; 1605 book by Miguel de Cervantes



“Listen to the musn’ts child, listen to the don’ts, listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts, listen to the never haves, then listen close to me, anything can happen child, anything can be.”

~Shel Silverstein, writer~

Where the Sidewalk Ends, 1974 book



“Never forget who you are, Little star.
Never forget how to dream, Butterfly.
May the angels protect you
And sadness forget you, Little star.”

~Madonna, singer~



“When you talk about inspiration, it’s about the struggle, not the victory. It’s all about the fight, not the win. That’s just the nature of living.”

~Gary Ross, director~

of Seabiscuit, 2003 movie



“Do not resist chances. Take them like vitamins. Let go of the brakes. See what happens if you go five more miles. Footbridges be damned, find your own way across. Don’t worry about the bumps and bruises. Your body can take them. Don’t steer around the bits that scare you. Go over them. Go through them. Do something the guys in the bowling league will be terrified of. You will feel your chin rise from your chest. And you’ll be able to see what’s around you. What’s ahead of you. And there will be one less thing you cannot do.”

~Nike advertisement~

1995; from the quote collection of Lg. From Josh’s website: http://www.trizera.com/jsp/greatlines/nikewgl.html



“There is no finish line.”



“The most absurd and reckless aspirations have sometimes led to extraordinary success.”

~M. de Vauvenargues, moralist~

New Beginnings quote book, 1993 by Running Press



“Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you can choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny.”

~Carl Schurz, statesman~

1859. German revolutionist and American statesman. Quoted by Heather Whitestone, the first deaf Miss America, in her memoir Listening With the Heart



“Remember: A ‘D’ is only the end of the world in the dictionary.”

~YM magazine~

1998



Pledge allegiance to yourself.



“Maybe it will take someone giving me a swift kick, but keep in mind, I need that swift kick to be followed by a smile and a handful of Smarties.”

~Lisa Kasamoto, writer~

2006



CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS #39

“Inspiration. Noun. 1. Stimulation of the faculties to a high level of feeling or activity. 2. The condition of being so stimulated. 3. An agency, such as a person of a work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions. 4. Something that is inspired, as an idea or action. 5. Theology: Divine guidance or influence exerted directly upon the mind and soul of man. 6. The act of breathing in; inhalation (From the Latin inspirare, to breathe into.) I’m under a lot of pressure to get one of these vanity cards written every week and to be perfectly honest, some weeks I’ve got squat. Like this week. Nothing of substance to say. Nothing even marginally amusing. Which is why I’m hoping for a little of #1 or perhaps even #5. I’m sitting here waiting… just sitting here. Oh, well, at least I’m doing well with #6. Which, if you read the definition again, still counts as inspiration. How about that, I’m inspired… and expired… and inspired… and expired… inspired.”

~Chuck Lorre, TV show co-creator~

Dharma and Greg, TV, 1997-2002

Each week, a “vanity card” is flashed for a second at the end of the credits. You have to record the episode, then pause the page in order to read or transcribe it. [Years later, magic of the internet: http://www.chucklorre.com/ for all the "cards".]



"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, writer~

[contributed by Stephan Aichinger]