Daily Inspiration

Edward Hopper

2012-02-24T05:00:00.003-05:00

Self-Portrait

"No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination."

American Artist

1882 - 1967

Skill will take a creative leader only so far. Imagination is required to make the great leaps that dramatically reshapes the world. Imagination requires being able to let go of the old and embrace the new — to leap from one place to another. What makes you different from others around you is your ability to imagine the world differently — to see what others don't or won't see. Embrace your imagination and give thanks daily for the gifts that it bestows upon you. Imagination helps you to connect the dots where most people do not even see the slightest connection. Imagination is a sacred gift given to each and everyone. Few know how to use its powers to the best of their ability. Many are scared by what they see and withdraw from the clutches of imagination. Let your imagination shine.

Summer Evening, 1947

Paul Gauguin

2012-02-23T05:00:00.002-05:00

Self-Portrait
(1893)

"I would like to write the way I do my paintings, that is, as fantasy takes me, as the moon dictates, and come up with a title long afterward."

— Paul Gauguin

French Artist

1848 - 1903

Crouching Tahitian Girl

Choosing titles for my poems has always been difficult for me. I am more into the creation of the work than giving it a title. I am more into the fantasy than the reality. My haiku and many of my short poems do not have titles. Why do we need to name everything? Why do we need to title the work? Can the work stand alone without a title? That being said: when I go to an art museum or an art gallery I always check out the title thinking it will give me some insight into the painting. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't.

Gauguin's quote, though, takes us deeper than the title. It is talking about the creative process. Do you plan out your work in advance or do you let the mood of the moment take over? Some writers write from an outline. They are just filling in the blanks. The creative work took place when they prepared the outline. Other writers shoot from the hip. They never know what the next line is going to be or where it will lead them? I never know where I am going until I get there. I find outlines boring and only of value when I do article writing. Even then I keep the outline to a minimum — four to seven key topics.

Camille Pissarro

2012-02-22T05:00:00.005-05:00

"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character."

— Camille Pissarro

French Artist

1830 - 1903

Conversation
(1881)

The key to success is to practice, practice and practice! If you don't get it right the first time, do it again. Keep working. Too often we give up too soon. Draw, write and paint every day. Be patient with yourself. Give yourself time to develop and grow into the artist that you want to be. Nothing happens over night. Sometimes it takes years. Sometimes it takes a lifetime.

The time is now. Get up off that couch. Stop watching television. Draw. Paint. Write. Do something. Anything. Every minute you waste is gone forever. Practice! Practice! Practice!

Charlotte Bronte

2012-02-21T05:00:00.003-05:00

"I'm just going to write because I cannot help it."

— Charlotte Bronte

English Novelist/Poet

1816 - 1855

Do you have an urge to create? To paint? To write? The desire must run deep if you want to succeed. If you pick up a pen because you are interested in the fame and fortune, forget. There are easier ways to make money. Invest in stocks. Writers write because they have no choice. Painters paint because the choice has been made for them. There is something deep inside all artists that demands that they create even when the odds are against them. They cannot help it.

Amy Tan

2012-02-20T05:00:00.005-05:00

"We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming — well, that's like saying you can never change your fate."

— Amy Tan

American Novelist

1952 -

What do you do when your dreams don't happen the way you imagined? Do you stop dreaming? Or do you change the dream? Or do you reframe your expectations to match the reality? Dreams are all that many of us have left to hold onto. If we give up our dreams, our lifes might as well be over. Even if we never achieve our dreams, we need the hope they inspire in us. We always need hope until that moment arrives when we take our last breath. Hope keeps us alive.

Here is Amy Tan discussing how she found meaning through writing.

T. S. Elliot

2012-02-19T05:00:00.005-05:00

In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

— T. S. Elliot

American Poet

1888 - 1965

When I was introduced to the poetry of T. S. Elliot in college, I fell in love with his work. One of my favorite poems still today is The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock from which these two lines are taken.

We are a nation of talkers and storytellers. We always have something to say even when it has no value or frame of reference. People come into our lives and share their opinions on art and the world before taking their leave and going elsewhere. Sometimes we give too much importance to the ideas and opinions of others. We need to listen to ourselves first. Often the opinions of others are not as valid as we are led to believe. In fact, their opinions can be dead wrong.

Are you trapped in a room and forced to listen to the negative opinions of others? Break out! Find a new room with people who will support and help you. Avoid the negative people who try to steal your energy and enthusiasm.

Here is a link to the full text version of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: (Read and enjoy.)

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20220

Listen to this fabulous reading of the poem by Anthony Hopkins.

Edward Calvert

2012-02-18T05:00:00.003-05:00

"Only paint what you love in what you see...."

— Edward Calvert

English Painter/Printmaker

1799 - 1883

Sometimes we put too much into our creative work. Simplicity is often best. One way of reducing the clutter in our creative work is to focus only on what we love and ignoring everything else. Think about what you can cut from your work without destroying its meaning and purpose. What is extra? What do you need to let go of so you can clarify the meaning of your work.?

Simone Weil

2012-02-17T05:00:00.006-05:00

"Contradiction is the criterion of reality."

— Simone Weil

French Philosopher/Writer

1909 - 1943

For me, I am a walking, talking contradiction and my experience is that so are most of the people whom I have met in my life. Have you ever said one thing and done another? Do you tell people that you love them and yet you often hurt them? Do you believe in peace and love and yet find yourself becoming angry at the behavior of others? Do you teach one thing and do another? Life is full of contradictions. And that is okay. Contradictions make us human. All our heroes have clay feet. And we should love them anyway. What are the contradictions in your life? What makes you human?

Isadora Duncan

2012-02-16T05:00:00.009-05:00

"All my life I have struggled to make one authentic gesture."

— Isadora Duncan

American Dancer

1877 -1927

Have you been true to yourself? Or have you spent a lifetime wearing masks? Do you know who you are and why you are here? Are you living an authentic life? Or are you hiding even from yourself? We all have struggled to find ourselves and to accept who we are. For some, this struggle has taken longer than others. And some may even go to their grave without discovering who they are. As artists, writers and actors, it is easy to be attracted to wearing masks and disguises. At the very least, we should not lie to ourselves. Even if we don't let others see the true us, we must look inward with clear vision. We must be true to ourselves.

Carl Jung

2012-02-15T05:00:00.005-05:00

"We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life."

— Carl Jung

Swiss Psychiatrist

1875 - 1961

Have you ever felt that you have been here before? That you have traveled down this road and met these people before? Life is a path or should I say a series of paths leading us to where we are supposed to go. Sometimes we come to a fork and make choices that lead us in directions we could not foresee. Sometimes the path dips and turns in ways we could never have imagined. Sometimes the path almost disappears and we feel lost and disoriented. But we are all on a path that intersects with the paths of others. And we even meet ourselves in various disguises and masks. Where are you on the path of life? At the beginning? Nearing the end? Caught in the middle? Have you looked in the mirror lately? What disguise are you wearing today?

Hazrat Inayat Khan

2012-02-14T05:00:00.002-05:00

"Love that ends is the shadow of love; true love is without beginning or end."

— Hazrat Inayat Khan

Indian Poet/Musician

1882 - 1927

Art is about love.

Love of self.

Love of others.

Love of nature.

Love of God.

Love inspires.

Love motivates.

Love transforms.

Love demands.

Love commands.

Art is love.

God is love.

Love is art.

Art is God.

Love is God.

Are you love?

Are you art?

Are you God?

Is there a beginning?

Is there an end?

Remember love.

Remember art.

Remember God.

Remember your name.

You are the beginning.

Georgia O'Keefe

2012-02-13T05:00:00.002-05:00

"I decided to start anew — to strip away what I had been taught, to accept as true my own thinking."

— Georgia O'Keefe

American Painter

1887 - 1986

Papaya Tree-Iao Valley
(1939)

By the time we reach adulthood, we have subconsciously learned a lot about the expectations of the people in our lives — our family, our teachers and our friends. And we often try to live our lives as others want us to live and work. The problem comes in when we fail to live up to those expectations. Some people spend unhappy lives trying to please others. A few creative leaders are able to shake off the expectations of others and discover their true self. Who are you? Are you trying to please your family, friends and teachers? Or have you discovered the person who you are meant to be? Turning your back on what you were taught can be very difficult. Letting go of the past can be very traumatic, but if you want to attain the person you were meant to be, you must find your own voice.

Aristotle

2012-02-12T05:00:00.005-05:00

"The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor. It is the one thing that cannot be learnt from others; and it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars."

— Aristotle

Greek Philosopher/Writer

384 BC - 322 BC

What are the metaphors in your writing? Your art? Your life? The metaphor is as Aristotle implied almost 2400 years ago a very important part of western literature. When I studied haiku, it was very clear that metaphor was not a part of haiku. So why metaphor? Why do we use one image to represent another? Why do we find similarity in things are not similar?

Let's play with this. Here is a metaphor I just made up. "My life is like a fishing boat adrift on the waves." How is my life like a fishing boat? 1. Like the boat I have a purpose — a reason for being. 2. Like the boat adrift, I am sometimes lost with not direction. 3. Like the boat I am slapped by the waves of life — pushed here and there by forces beyond my control. 4. Like the fishing boat I am not the captain of my life.

So here is my challenge: Share a metaphor that explains your life. "My life is like . . ."

Kathe Kollwitz

2012-02-11T05:00:00.005-05:00

"I have never been able to carry out any work coolly. On the contrary it is done, so to speak, with my own blood. Anyone who looks at my works must be able to sense that."

— Kathe Kollwitz

German Artist

1867 - 1945

Do you know why many young people choose to write poetry even when they don't read it? They have a need to express what they are feeling. The same is true of older writers as well as artists of all ages. The creation of a work of art is a form of emotional expression — sharing with the world how we feel about a subject. What feelings are you attempting to express? What emotion is exposing itself in and through your creative work? For at its heart, creative work is about expressing emotions — even deeply buried and often unconscious emotion. And that's the good news. If there is emotion at the core of your creative work, it will touch the hearts of those who see it or read it and you will be successful.

Widows and Orphans
(1919)

Moliere

2012-02-10T05:00:00.004-05:00

"The greater the obstacle, the more the glory in overcoming it."

— Moliere

French Playwright & Actor

1622 - 1673

We have all faced obstacles in our lives — some big, some small, some real and some imagined. Sometimes these obstacles defeat us and sometimes we are victorious. The winners never give up. There is always a way either over or under or around or through the obstacle. I have often backed up and found another route around the obstacle. Sometimes I have plowed right through the obstacle smashing it. On other occasions I have been able to leap over the obstacle or even dig a tunnel beneath it. The key is not to let the obstacle stop you. And the bigger the obstacle, the greater the joy in victory. What obstacles stand in your way today? How are you going to overcome them?

John Updike

2012-02-09T05:00:00.002-05:00

"Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them."

— John Updike

American Novelist

1932 - 2009

Have you ever wondered why we have hopes and dreams? Why do we desire to be writers, singers and painters? Why do we want a house with a little picket fence? What would life be like if we did not have dreams? Probably very boring. There would be no progress. We would all be happy where we were and would not strive to achieve more. Understand that since we have been given dreams, we are capable of achieving our desires. We don't dream about things which we can not achieve. That does not mean achieving our dreams comes easy. We have to work hard and not give up. What are your dreams and desires? Are you working hard to achieve them?

Herodotus

2012-02-08T05:00:00.004-05:00

"Some give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before."

— Herodotus

Greek Historian

484 BC - 425 BC

The one trait that every writer, painter and musician needs is persistence. Without persistence and determination, most creative people will quit before they are successful. People often give up too soon. They forget that the night is the darkest just before the dawn. When every things appears to be lost that is the time to push the hardest — to exert that extra effort.

Most successful artists and writers throughout history have understood the power of persistence. Herodotus said it more than 2500 years ago and nothing has changed. You still need persistence to be a winner — to be successful. The world is full of obstacles and naysayers. It takes persistence to find a way around or through the obstacles. Don't give up on your dreams and hopes.

George Elliot

2012-02-07T05:00:00.002-05:00

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

— George Eliot

English Novelist

1819 - 1880

We all have dreams and things we want to accomplish in our lives. Unfortunately, most of us either give up too soon or misinterpret our dreams. I thought being a writer meant being able to write full time. It does not. Many writers had other lives. Writing is only a portion of living. I thought being a writer meant having a best seller on the charts. It does not. Some great writers and artists never made a penny from their creative work. I believe that we all become what we are meant to be. We just need to discover what we are meant to be. Search deep within your soul to understand who you are and what you are meant to do. For some of us being a mother or father is the most important thing we can do. Creative works helps to keep us sane. For others being a teacher is the most important thing they can do. Painting is the work that keeps them in touch with who they are. It is never to late to be what you can be.

Bob Marley

2012-02-06T05:00:00.010-05:00

"When the root is strong, the fruit is sweet."

— Bob Marley

Jamaican Musician

1945 - 1981

How well do you know your roots? On what other artists is your art build on? Who are the artists who have influenced you? On whose shoulders are you standing? An artist needs to understand the history of his art. He needs to know his roots.

How strong are your roots? How deep are your roots? Without roots the tree dies. Without roots the plant withers. Without roots there is no fruit. Don't ignore your roots. Don't ignore the traditions from which you come. Are you watering your roots? Are you growing as an artist? Are you in touch with your roots?

Here is Cedella Marley talking about her father.

John Amatt

2012-02-05T05:00:00.010-05:00

"Face new challenges, seize new opportunities, test your resources against the unknown and in the process, discover your own unique potential."

— John Amatt

English Speaker

1945 -

Only by challenging ourselves to try new adventures do we discover who we are and what our limitations and opportunities are. Are you challenging yourself to learn something new? There are physical challenges, mental challenges and creative challenges. On what level are you challenging yourself? You must learn to step outside your comfort zone and find new beginnings.

Thomas Merton

2012-02-04T05:00:00.003-05:00

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."

— Thomas Merton

American Writer

1915 - 1968

Have you ever lost yourself in your art and woke up wondering how you created what you did? I have sometimes written for several hours only to read what I wrote days later and be surprised by what I wrote. Something happens where I seem to disappear into the writing process and am only partially conscious. Yet through the process of writing I have also been able to heal myself and in the process find myself. Creativity is a mysterious, mystical and spiritual process that brings us closer to who we are meant to be. If you have experienced the creative process, then you have been blessed with a gift. Give thanks for what you have been given.

Maria Luz Q. King

2012-02-03T16:40:00.000-05:00

Old Man

"My art is my conversation with the world."

— Maria Luz Q. King

American Artist, Writer

1952 -

Junior

Art at its core is about communication, about talking — carrying on a conversation with people today and tomorrow. It is like a time machine that carries us from the world in which we live into some distant future where we inspire the lives of others. What are you talking about in your art? What is the conversation that you are having? What messages are you sending into the future?

Is the conversation that you are having clear and concise? Do people understand what your message is Do you know what your message is?

Romare Bearden

2012-02-02T05:00:00.008-05:00

"Painting and art cannot be taught. You can save time if someone tells you to put blue and yellow together to make green, but the essence of painting is a self-disciplined activity that you have to learn by yourself."

— Romare Bearden

American Artist

1911 - 1978

The Train
Collage (1974)

People often say that painting and writing cannot be taught by others. The best way to learn to write and paint is through painting and writing. We discover who we are as creative leaders by doing. And while there is a lot of truth to this, I believe one can learn from others. Not that one needs formal training, but rather the observation and interaction with others. Those who have been painting or writing for years have much to teach the young if they are willing to listen. But when the teaching is over, the student must still paint or write what is in his heart. He must create what his heart sees.

See some more art work by Romare Bearden.

William Plomer

2012-02-01T05:00:00.014-05:00

"Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected."

— William Plomer

South African Writer

1903 - 1973

Great writers and artists make mental leaps that often leave others baffled. They make connections between what seem like very different things. For me, this mental leaping often happens at a subconscious level and only occasionally spills over into the conscious world. I make leaps while writing poetry that I know don't come from my conscious mind. One way of increasing this unconscious leaping is to be constantly feeding information into your mind and and letting your subconscious connect the dots. Even if you don't understand the connection in your rational mind, trust your subconscious because it understands the relationship better than the analytical mind.

Anton Chekhov

2012-01-31T05:00:00.003-05:00

"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint on the broken glass."

— Anton Chekov

Russian Writer

1860 -1904

Writing is in the sharing of details. Even the smallest detail helps to create the story. Writers are cautioned again and again not to tell, but to show. If you tell, you are placing judgement on the story. If you show, you are allowing the reader to make up his own mind. And I think the same is true of painting. The goal is not to show the moon hanging in the sky, but to see it reflected in the plants and trees. Painting is about light and shadow. You know the sun or moon is there even if you can't see it. You see the light on the leaves. Dig deep and reveal the details. The story is build on the details.

Denis Waitley

2012-01-30T05:00:00.003-05:00

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them."

— Denis Waitley

American Speaker/Writer
1933 -

Do you accept your world as it is or are you willing to change it and make it better? As creative leaders we have a choice — to make things better or leave them as they are. If you are unhappy with your life, then change it. If you are not happy with your art, then change yourself. Practice more. Study more. Create more. Life is about choice. Don't waste time blaming others. Don't blame your parents. Don't blame God. Don't blame your education. The choice is yours. Choose to be a winner.

Leonardo da Vinci

2012-01-29T05:00:00.004-05:00

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

— Leonardo da Vinci

Italian Painter/Creative Leader

1452 - 1519

Sometimes we make the world too complicated. We need to learn to simplify our lives, our work and our creative expressions. What can you leave out of the painting that will make it stronger? What can you leave out of your short story that will make it better and more meaningful to your readers? What can you leave out of your poem that will make it more powerful? Strive to achieve simplicity in all that you do.

Alfred North Whitehead

2012-01-28T05:00:00.003-05:00

"No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude."

— Alfred North Whitehead

English Mathematician/Philosopher

1861 - 1947

Who have been your mentors? Who have helped you along the way? I believe we must from time to time stop and acknowledge those who have assisted on our journey through life. Most people start with their parents and move on to their teachers. My parents gave me a start by paying for my college education. I was the first in either my mother's or father's family to graduate from college. So I have much to be thankful for. And my teachers have been numerous, whether in the classroom or in books or in day-to-day living. And don't forget your children and grandchildren. They teach us parents so much. They help us to return to the passion of our youth. How about the person who hired you into your current job. They saw something in you that others did not. I could list hundreds of people who have touched my life from beggars whom I gave a handout to the Presidents of companies. And don't forget your neighbors. The person who mowed your yard when you were sick. The minister who married you. The banker who loaned you money. We have so much to be thankful for. Yet, how easily we forget and feel we have nothing. It is time to develop an attitude of gratitude. Give thanks today.

Lucille Ball

2012-01-27T05:00:00.013-05:00

"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself."

— Lucille Ball

American Actress

1911 - 1989

It is very easy for creative leaders to become discouraged and depressed when their ideas don't work out. Yet what good does it do to wallow in self-pity and discouragement? We become less productive and might even stop creating all together. The challenge is to find ways to keep our chin up and to keep moving forward. Having spent the first 35 years of my life as a pessimist, I know it takes work to become an optimist. And it is easy to backslide. Being down on ourselves does us no good. We need to keep the faith. We need to believe in ourselves.

Here's part one of a documentary of Lucille Ball's life.

Ralph Ellison

2012-01-26T05:00:00.002-05:00

"It takes a deep commitment to change and an even deeper commitment to grow."

— Ralph Ellison

American Novelist

1914 - 1994

Change and growth require commitment. People dream of changing their lives but usually they lack the deep commitment to do so. Change takes hard work and follow through. Nothing changes overnight. Many in the American society expect instant change. Not happy with your body weight, take a pill or have surgery. Not happy with your body, have plastic surgery. Change takes commitment and patience. It is better to lose weight slowly than quickly. Becoming a writer doesn't happen overnight. It takes years. Actors often are labeled an overnight success — a success which took ten or fifteen years. Harrison Ford, the actor, spent 15 years in Hollywood before he got the break in Star Wars that made him famous. Creative expression is a lifetime commitment. Don't give up.

Bernice Johnson Reagon

2012-01-25T05:00:00.003-05:00

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are."

— Bernice Johnson Reagon

American Singer/Composer

1942 -

We all face challenges in life. How we handle these challenges helps to form our character and our soul. Sometimes these challenges will knock us off our feet and leave us lying face down in the mud. We must find the strength to climb to our feet and regain our courage. Only in distress do we learn who we really are. What challenges are you facing today? Have the challenges knocked you down? Have you picked yourself back up? What are you learning about yourself?

Here is Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon performing Old Ship of Zion. You have to hear this.

E. B. White

2012-01-24T05:00:00.002-05:00

"Your whole duty as a writer is to please and satisfy yourself, and the true writer always plays to an audience of one."

— E. B. White

American Writer

1899 - 1985

People today are often told to target their audience and write what their audience wants to read. The same applies to artists and other creative leaders. Young singers on American Idol are encouraged to know the audience their music most appeals to. And there is some truth in this philosophy. You can find success writing, singing and painting for a particular audience, both financially and personally. And as creative leaders we do want success.

But great writers and artists create for themselves and wait for their audience to find them. Because if you are not satisfied by what you create, you will ultimately disappoint yourself. You will feel that you betrayed your gift to secure the almighty dollar. Your job is to satisfy that deep need within yourself to create what you choose to create.

I have written poetry for over 35 years with little commercial success. Yet I have written what I wanted and needed to write. And maybe some day long after I am dead, my writing will find an audience. And maybe it won't, but at least I have been true to myself.

Isak Dinesen

2012-01-23T05:00:00.003-05:00

"These difficult times have helped me to realize how infinitely rich and beautiful life is. And that so many things one worries about are of no importance whatsoever."

— Isak Dinesen

Danish Writer

1885 - 1962

Sometimes we let the difficulties of living block our realizations of how beautiful life actually is. Even in the worst of times, there are positive things happening. The sun does come up every day, even when all we see are clouds. Many of our worries never come to pass, yet we allow ourselves to spend thousands of hours imagining what could happen. Most things that we worry about don't happen and when they actually occur, there was nothing we could have done to prevent them from happening. So stop worrying and start enjoying the beautiful life that is in your hands. Besides, what is the worst that could happen — we might die. Then our worries will be over.

Gwendolyn Brooks

2012-01-22T05:00:00.002-05:00

"I felt that I had to write. Even if I had never published, I knew that I would go on writing, enjoying it and experiencing the challenge."

— Gwendolyn Brooks

American Poet

1917 - 2000

Creative individuals must create. Whether you write, paint, draw, sing or dance, your soul demands that you create. If you don't, a part of you will die. Unfortunately, our society says if don't publish and sell your work you are not successful. This is far from the the true. Success exists in the process of creation, not in publication or performance. Don't give up because no one has bought your paintings or that you can't make a living from your writing. It's okay to take a job to pay the bills and then spend those spare moments creating. Creative work is what our spirits need and demand. Don't deny your spirit.

Here are five poems by Gwendolyn Brooks.

Rollo May

2012-01-21T05:00:00.004-05:00

"Creativity arises out of tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter forcing the spontaneity into various forms which are essential to the work of art or poem."

Rollo May

American Author/Psychologist

1909 - 1994

I spent seven years writing and studying haiku. The 5-7-5 three-line form is seen by some as very limiting. Yet, there is freedom and spontaneity within the limits of the form. Do you want to challenge yourself? Then impose some limits on what you create. After I moved on from haiku, I created my own 7-line and 20-line poems. I limited how much I could say by the number of lines. Online you can find the six word story. The challenge is to tell your story in six words. Another blog publishes fiction that is 25 words long, composed of 5 sentences with each sentence being 5 words long. It is called 5 X 5 fiction. The same can be done with painting. There are artists who commit to painting a painting every day. That is a major limitation. Here is a link to Angela's blog where she posts a new painting every day. What limitations are you challenging yourself with? Remember limitations can increase the creativity.

Jasper Johns

2012-01-20T05:00:00.011-05:00

"As one gets older one sees many more paths that could be taken. Artists sense within their own work that kind of swelling of possibilities, which may seem a freedom or a confusion."

— Jasper Johns

American Artist

1930 -

Fool's House
(1962)

When I begin to write a short story, I see many paths for the story to take and I have to make choices. The excitement comes in the choosing. Sometimes the path ends and I have to retreat and find another path. Sometimes the path branches and again I have to choose which direction to go. The same is true when I start a painting. So many paths. So many possibilities. And the same is true of life. So many paths. So many choices. Some become paralyzed by having too many choices. After I graduated from college, I was paralyzed because I did not know what to do with my life. Too many choices. Or in my mind, too few choices. Once I made a choice, the path began to take shape and I followed it where I needed to go. And I arrived where I was supposed to be.

Anna Quindlen

2012-01-19T05:00:00.004-05:00

"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."

— Anna Quindlen

American Author

1953 -

Like many people, I have for much of my life tried to be perfect. The perfect student. The perfect son. The perfect employee. The perfect husband. The perfect writer. The perfect father. The perfect speaker. It took me years to understand that I would never be perfect. That my character contained flaws, many of which I could not see or understand. Perfection is impossible. I can never be perfect in the eyes of others. I can only be me with my unique strengths and weaknesses. I have come to the point where I don't have to spell every word correctly. I don't have a panic attack when I send out an email with mistakes. I don't worry when I slur my words when I speak.

How about you? Have you kicked the perfection habit? Or do you beat yourself up every time you make a mistake? The next time you screwup give yourself a pat on the back. Celebrate the fact that you are human. Treat yourself to a massage. And most of all, forgive yourself.

Raymond Chandler

2012-01-18T05:00:00.002-05:00

"Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered pot holder."

Raymond Chandler

American Novelist

1888 - 1959

Are you passionate about you create? Are you passionate about your subject matter? Are you passionate about your medium? Technique without passion is cold and empty and rarely touches the hearts of people. Passion without technique still has the power to bring people to tears. Passion with technique is great art. Have you perfected your technique? Have you encouraged and cultivated your passion? What are you passionate about? What keeps you awake at night? What fills your spirit with love?

Rosanne Cash

2012-01-17T05:00:00.014-05:00

"Reading inspirational and motivational quotes daily is like taking my vitamins."

— Rosanne Cash

American Singer/Songwriter/Author

1955 -

You and I live in a very negative world. Just listen to the news on TV, read the daily newspaper and listen to the people around you. If we want to remain positive amidst this negativity, we need to give ourselves daily doses of motivation. We need to daily feed our minds and our hearts with inspirational words. We feed ourselves food daily because we are hungry. We take baths regularly because we become dirty. The same is true for our spirit. We are in charge of what enters our minds, our hearts and our souls.

The reason this blog is called Daily Inspiration is because each of us needs to feed positive energy into our spirit. So how can you use the the positive quotes I share with you everyday? Here are some ways to daily feed your soul.

Memorize each quote and repeat it to yourself throughout the day.
Write the quote down and reread it throughout the day.
Share the quote with others and tell them what it means to you.
Meditate on the meaning of the quote for 10 - 15 minutes.
Keep a journal and write down what the quote means to you and how you will apply it to your life.

Here is Rosanne singing The Wheel.

Natalie Goldberg

2012-01-16T06:36:00.000-05:00

"Some people write for fifteen years with no success and then decide to quit. Don't look for success and don't quit. If you want writing, write under all circumstances. Success will or will not come, in this lifetime or the next. Success is none of our business. It comes from the outside. Our job is to write, to not look up from our notebook and wonder how much money Norman Mailer earns."

— Natalie Goldberg

American Writer

1948 -

The creative arts are not about fame and fortune. They are about creating. If success is what you seek then you ought to pursue another profession. For every actor who becomes rich, famous and invited to the Oscars, there are thousands who act in small community plays for the love of it. For every writer who reaches the best sellers list, there are thousands who toil daily with neither recognition nor financial rewards, simply for the love of writing. For every musician whose songs top the music charts, there are millions who sing at church or in the shower. Our work is to create, not to become rich and famous. Are you focused on creating or are you daydreaming about being rich and famous?

Here is Natalie Goldberg:

Aung San Suu Kyi

2012-01-15T05:00:00.011-05:00

"If you're feeling helpless, help someone."

— Aung San Suu Kyi

Burmese Author/Political Activist

1945 -

Have you ever felt helpless? That there was nothing you could do? It is easy to get discouraged and want to quit — to feel that what one does doesn't matter. Yet we must pick ourselves up and keep going. There is always hope. When you are down, find someone to help. One of the great paradoxes is that when we help others we help ourselves. By giving of ourselves to others we are giving to ourselves. We all need to believe in something beyond ourselves. For some of us, our artistic creations are what we believe in. We find hope and strength in our creativity. For others, their strength and hope comes from helping those less fortunate. You are never helpless, if you can help someone else.

Here is Morley, a singer and songwriter, who was so inspired by this quote that she turned it into a song. Listen to the words and watch the images.

Michelangelo

2012-01-14T05:00:00.004-05:00

Portrait of Michelangelo
by Jacopino del Conte

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."

— Michelangelo

Italian Artist

1475 -1564

Pieta
(1499)

Creative leaders see the world differently than others. They see things that others do not see. Do you see the angel in the marble? Have you set him free? Don't be afraid of what you see. Don't worry that you may be crazy. What you see makes you very special. Trust yourself. You won't lead yourself down the wrong path. Believe in the angels locked in stone. Believe that you can free the angels. Believe that the world will be a better place because of what you created. Believe in your talent.

Marian Wright Edelman

2012-01-13T05:00:00.003-05:00

"Failure is just another way to learn how to do something right."

— Marian Wright Edelman

American Activist

1939 -

Too often we believe failure is something bad. We have been conditioned by our parents, our schools and society to believe that failure is a negative. We need to change our perspective of what failure means. A failure is an opportunity to try again — to start over, to have another chance. A failure is not the end of the road unless we give up. Failure is a great teacher. We learn about ourselves and others. Sometimes we learn more in failure than we do through success. So the next time you receive a rejection slip, view it as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Aimee Bender

2012-01-12T05:00:00.002-05:00

"It seems the best work I do is when I am really allowing the unconscious to rule the page and then later I can go back and hack around and make sense of things."

— Aimee Bender

American Novelist

1969 -

The unconscious mind is a powerful tool for the creative leader. The unconscious is able to make tremendous leaps and build connections between very different images and words. Encourage yourself to listen to your unconscious. Cultivate your unconscious. Explore your unconscious. Dance with your unconscious. Leap into the unknown. Connect with that which you don't know.

Chinua Achebe

2012-01-11T05:00:00.008-05:00

"Art is man's constant effort to create for himself a different order of reality from that which is given to him."

— Chinua Achebe

Nigerian Novelist/Poet

1930 -

Through our painting and writing we have an opportunity to recreate the world as we want it to be. We have the ability and the opportunity to alter reality. The world into which we are born can be changed. We can change our story by retelling it in new ways. Have you changed your story? Have you altered the reality in which you live? Or are you caught up in facts as reality? The more you can alter and change reality, the better artist you will become.

Maya Angelou

2012-01-10T05:00:00.003-05:00

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."

Maya Angelou

American Poet/Writer

1928 -

Creativity is a gift that we all possess. If you have ever watched a small child play, you know this is true. Children before they attend school have such powerful imaginations, yet through the many years of schooling much of this imagination is lost as the children are forced to conform to the world of adulthood. Only the strongest hold onto their imagination and continue to think in ways that upset the mainstream. The more we use our imagination the stronger it grows. If we don't use our imagination, it withers and disappears. Are you encouraging your imagination and that of the people around you?

Robert Henri

2012-01-09T05:00:00.003-05:00

"There is no art without contemplation."

— Robert Henri

American Painter

1865 - 1929

Do you take the time to contemplate your work? Sometimes we need to step back and process our work. We need to let it sit for a few days or weeks or even months. Often when we come back to the work, it is with renewed energy and ideas. We quickly solve problems that before were obstacles. Take a day off from time to time to give the creative juices some rest. To paraphrase an old saying: "All work and no play, makes Jack a dull artist."

Steve Jobs

2012-01-08T15:25:00.000-05:00

Steve jobs - 20 life lessons

View more presentations from Rob van Alphen

Steve Jobs

2012-01-08T05:00:00.016-05:00

"Great art stretches the taste, it doesn't follow tastes."

Steve Jobs

American Businessman/Inventor

1955 - 2011

If you want to achieve greatness, don't follow the pack. Don't go where others are going. Choose the path least traveled or create a new path. Create the world as you want it to be. Steve Jobs was a visionary. He took a path that few others could see. The role of creative leaders is to lead the way to new worlds and new opportunities. Great artists have a vision of where they want to go and what they want to achieve. What is your vision? What path are you on? Are you leading the way or are you following the pack?

(Quote Source: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson)

J. K. Rowling

2012-01-07T05:00:00.002-05:00

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

— J. K. Rowling

British Novelist

1965 -

The choices we make help determine the person we become and what we accomplish. Did you choose to write today or to watch TV? Did you choose to help a stranger or did you buy something for yourself? We make choices every minute of every day. Did you choose to brush your teeth or comb your hair? And these decisions impact our lives. Some decisions have an impact immediately and others take years to materialize. When I was in my 20's and 30's I played volleyball. I was known for diving without knee pads on asphalt and hardwood floors to save a ball. I felt very little pain at the time. Now 30 years later those dives have come back to haunt my knees and me. What choices are you making to day that will impact you tomorrow. Again, I ask: did you write or paint today? Or did you go to a movie? The choices we make tell us who we are, not whom we want to be.

Boris Pasternak

2012-01-06T05:00:00.006-05:00

"I don't like people who have never fallen or stumbled. Their virtue is lifeless and it isn't of much value. Life hasn't revealed its beauty to them."

— Boris Pasternak

Russian Poet/Novelist

1890 - 1960

We all make mistakes. We stumble and fall. None of us are perfect no matter how much we try not to mess up. And from one perspective life would be boring if everyone was perfect. Think about what the world would be like if no one lied, had affairs or committed murder. What would writers write about? Even the best of us have skeletons in our closets. And it is our failures that make us artists, writers and musicians. We have a need to communicate these failures to the world. How have your failures influenced and shaped your art? How have your mistakes colored the life you live?

Gunther Grass

2012-01-05T05:00:00.009-05:00

"Even bad books are books, and therefore sacred."

— Gunther Grass

German Novelist

1927 -

Let me expand this quote to say that even bad art is sacred. I believe the creative process is a sacred act. I think we have too many critics who are quick to criticize. If someone has the stamina to write a novel, the person is a success. It's like running a marathon. Just finishing is success. If a person has the courage to paint a picture, the person is successful. If I ask 10 different people what they think about a painting, a novel, a poem or a song, I would probably get 10 different opinions ranging from terrible to great. We try to make arts competitive by ranking them in terms of quality. The arts should not be competitive. Respect the creator. Honor the creator. Respect the creative process.

Vaclav Havel

2012-01-04T05:00:00.006-05:00

"Vision is not enough — it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the stairs, we must step up the stairs."

— Vaclav Havel

Czech Playwright/Poet/Politician

1936 - 2011

Over the years I have met people who wanted to write a book. They dreamed of being successful writers, but they never put pen to paper. Having a vision of what you want to accomplish is very important to success, but vision without action is disaster. Don't desire to be a write. Write and someday you will be a writer. Don't desire to be an artist. Paint and someday you will be a artist. Dreaming about what you desire is of no value unless you act upon your desire.

Vaclav Havel was a rare writer who had a vision and took action. Not only did Havel put his vision into writing, he also took action and became the ninth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic.

Don't just dream of success, but take action and climb the stairs one step at a time and you will reach the top.

Here is a news report and tribute to Vaclav Havel.

Wanda Koop

2012-01-03T05:00:00.007-05:00

"There's an assumption that because I'm an artist, I've got all the time in the world."

— Wanda Koop

Canadian Painter

1951 -

If people know you are an artist, writer or musician, they don't think you work. They assume they can stop by anytime and you will drop what ever you are doing so you can entertain them. They believe you should have no problem serving on various committees because you have time on your hands. What they don't understand is that creative work is also mental work. Even if you are not physically working, you mind is working overtime. As creative leaders we need to learn to say no. Don't allow others to steal time away from your work. Stand strong and firm even if they beg.

Here is an interview with Wanda Koop.

Harley King

2012-01-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

If you have been following this blog, you will have noticed that I am a strong advocate of reading books. In 2011 I read 28 books, one less than 2010. Here is my list of the top ten books I read in 2011.

10. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (novel)
9. White Oleander by Janet Fitch (novel)
8. 72 Hour Hold by Bebe Moore Campbell (novel)
7. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (novel)
6. The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell (novel)
5. Imperial Woman: The Story of the Last Empress of China by Pearl Buck (historical novel)
4. Pearl Buck in China: Journey to the Good Earth by Hilary Spurling (biography)
3. The Good Earth by Pearl Buck (novel)
2. Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey (biography)
1. Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever (short stories)

To see the remainder of the books I read in 2011 go to goodreads.com: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2103162-harley?shelf=read-2011

George Matthew Adams

2012-01-02T05:00:00.003-05:00

"We cannot waste time. We can only waste ourselves."

— George Matthew Adams

American Writer

1878 - 1962

We all have been given talents. Some waste their talents with drugs, booze and other addictions. Others fail to live up to their potential, living a day dream of what could have been. Some achieve early success only to become caught up in the glamour and the image, never to create again or achieve lasting success. You know what talents you have been given. Are you encouraging your talents and investing in your success? Are you working hard to achieve your dreams? Or are you resting on your laurels? The choice is yours. Will you choose to become what you are meant to be?

Harley King

2012-01-01T05:00:00.006-05:00

"Nothing stays the same and nothing changes. What is old today will be new tomorrow. What is new today will be forgotten tomorrow."

— Harley King

American Writer/Speaker

1949 -

We humans love to measure time and to reflect on where we have been and where we want to go. If we have not published our first book by the time we are thirty, we may never publish a book. If we live to be sixty, we are suddenly over the hill and unemployable. Unless, of course, we are running for President.

My time on this planet has taught me that as much as things change they still remain the same. What once was old comes back in fashion. And what we believe to be new and exciting will soon fade away. The story you are writing has been written before. The painting you are painting has been painted before. And yet each of us must believe that we are the first. That no one has done this before.

Yesterday, I quoted Gladys Taber who in her lifetime published more than 60 books. Yet, until yesterday I had never heard of her. We may be celebrated in our lifetime but forgotten after we die. Or we may be unknown in our lifetime and remembered for hundreds of years. Time has a way of playing tricks on us. We think we have mastered it and it sneaks a way from us.

As you reflect today on what happened to you in 2011 and dream about what will happen in 2012, remember that nothing stays the same and nothing change. Don't worry about the passing of time. Be happy with who you are and whom you have become. Celebrate the new year with open arms.

Gladys Taber

2011-12-31T05:00:00.007-05:00

"We need time to dream, time to remember, and time to reach the infinite. Time to be."

— Gladys Taber

American Writer

1899 - 1980

In the fast paced, always connected world in which we live, we sometimes forget about the importance day dreaming. Do you take time to day dream? To rethink your life? To remember why you are here? To simply be? As the old saying goes: stop and smell the roses. Easy to say and hard to follow. We are so busy staying in touch via our cell phones that we don't experience the world around us. During this next year, take time to dream and remember. Take time to be.

Gary Zukav

2011-12-30T05:00:00.008-05:00

"Changing the world begins with the very personal process of changing yourself. The only place you can begin is where you are, and the only time you can begin is always now."

— Gary Zukav

American Writer/Speaker

1942 -

Painting and writing is about re-creating and re-structuring the world the way we would like it to be. The creative process is about changing ourselves and in the process of changing ourselves we change the world. How have you changed in the past year? How have you grown and developed as a person and as a creative leader? What choices have you made in the last year to change your life? Do you understand yourself better today than you did a year ago? What have you learned about yourself? What are your plans for next year? What do you want to be doing a year from now?

Here is Gary Zukav discussing change.

Joye Moon

2011-12-29T05:00:00.003-05:00

"Every day is a gift — a new beginning . . . bound out of bed with the enthusiasm of a child."

— Joye Moon

American Painter

How do you begin your day? With a cup of coffee? A cold beer? With steak and eggs? Or a doughnut? Do you drag yourself out of bed wishing you could spend the day sleeping? Are you wide awake and full of energy? Some people get up in the morning and say: "Good morning, Lord. It is great to be alive!" Other people get up and say: "O Lord, it's morning again." Which are you? Someone who appreciates each day she has been given? Or someone who finds no joy in living? How you begin your day can have a positive or negative impact on your creative work.

Do you begin your day with meditation? Or prayer? Do you take a walk? Or lift weights? Do you eat a healthy breakfast or do you skip the most important meal of the day? Be thankful for every day you wake up. The alternative to waking up is being six feet under. Celebrate the day and give thanks for all you have been given.

George C. Scott

2011-12-28T05:00:00.002-05:00

"The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it."

— George C. Scott

American Actor

1927 - 1999

The world usually has its fair share of doomsayers who predict the end of civilization as we know it. Like Chicken Little, they are constantly claiming the sky is falling. But what few people consider is how strong the human spirit is. No matter what is thrown at us, we pick ourselves up and keep going.

I don't care what kind of challenges you are currently facing in your life. I don't care what has happened to you in the past. The difference between the winners and the losers is that the winners pick themselves up and keep going. You are stronger than anything that has happened to you. You can overcome any difficulty or challenge you are currently facing. You are a winner. Believe in yourself.

Louis Armstrong

2011-12-27T05:00:00.002-05:00

"My whole life, my whole soul, my whole spirit is to blow that horn."

— Louis Armstrong

American Musician

1901 - 1971

Do you put all of yourself into your art or do you hold a part of yourself back? The more you give of yourself, the more powerful your art becomes. Painting and writing are not nine-to-five jobs. You must be involved in your art 24/7. Every conversation and every book you read impacts your creative expression. Every broken relationship and every love affair affects the art you create. So are you blowing your horn with your body and soul? Are you giving everything you have?

Listen to Satchmo sing "What A Wonderful World" and enjoy the photos.

Howard Aiken

2011-12-26T05:00:00.012-05:00

"Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats."

— Howard Aiken

American Professor/Computer Engineer

1900 - 1973

Writers sometimes worry about someone stealing their ideas or their work. And while this may happen from time to time, it is not as prevalent as people might think. In fact, truly original ideas are almost never stolen because nobody believes in them. Today the Impressionists painters are celebrated throughout the world, but in their day there were considered failed artists. Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime and that was to his brother.

Today the light bulb is taken for granted, but in the late 1800's most people would have thought you were crazy if you told them that you came from a world lighted by electricity and light bulbs. In fact, Thomas Edison originally developed the light bulb to light baseball fields.

Howard Aiken knows of what he speaks. He was the conceptual designer in 1944 behind the Mark I computer originally called the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator. Think about what it would take to sell the concept of a computer when it had not even been invented. Nobody would steal the idea. You would have to ram it down their throats.

What truly original ideas do you have? Don't worry if nobody believes your idea will work. That only means it must be original and only you can bring the idea to life. Don't live in fear of someone stealing your ideas. Live in fear that you will not give birth to an original idea.

Marcel Proust

2011-12-25T05:00:00.002-05:00

"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

— Marcel Proust

French Novelist

1871 - 1922

In this holiday season when families come together in fellowship, friends share toasts of happiness, and lovers make vows of eternal love, we should be grateful and give thanks for all we have been given. If you don't have someone this holiday season, I encourage you to reach out. Don't hide in the attic, or the basement or the closet. Make new friends. Choose new directions. How you spend this season of joy is your choice. Celebrate what you have been given.

Placido Domingo

2011-12-24T05:00:00.006-05:00

"I hope I have given back half the joy music has given me."

— Placido Domingo

Spanish Musician

1941 -

Does your creative work give you joy? When you have completed a session of painting or writing, do you feel good? I think it is a privilege to be a creative leader. Our work brings us so much happiness and joy. Celebrate your work. And remember that creativity is about giving back a little joy to others.

Listen to Domingo sing. You can feel the emotion even if you don't understand the words.

John Keats

2011-12-23T05:00:00.005-05:00

"I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the Heart's affections and the truth of imagination."

— John Keats

English Poet

1795 - 1821

One of the most powerful forces available to creative leaders is their imagination. Your imagination will open up new worlds and provide you answers to many of the challenges you face in your creative work. You must learn to cultivate your imagination. You must nurture it and feed it. Imagination grows through exposure to various ideas and various experiences.

Steve Jobs, after dropping out of college, audited a course on calligraphy because he was interested in the subject. What he learned in that single course gave rise more than a decade later to the multiple fonts available on the Mac computer. And since Windows adopted much of its style and look from Mac, the computer world was given an array of fonts from which to choose. How much different life would have been if computer users could not change fonts.

What are you doing to expand your imagination? What ideas are you exposing yourself to? How are you growing your imagination. If you don't use it, you may lose it. Feed your imagination today.

Diane Arenberg

2011-12-22T05:00:00.002-05:00

"Being true to yourself is what feeds creativity, not self-doubt and criticism."

— Diane Arenberg

American Artist

First Light

Over the eight years that I have watched American Idol, one of the most common comments from the judges involved being true to oneself. Young artists are often encouraged to be themselves, but many spend years imitating someone they love. At some point you must step beyond your mentors and show the world the artist you are.

Don't paint what others want you to paint. Don't write novels that you think will sell. Paint and write what you want whether it sells or not. Someday the world will catch up with you. You are probably ahead of your time. Remember to be true to yourself.

Emile Zola

2011-12-21T05:00:00.003-05:00

"The artist is nothing without a gift, but the gift is nothing without work."

— Emile Zola
French Writer
1840 -1902

Many have wasted the gifts they have been given. Some will go a lifetime and never realize the gifts they have been given. A gift by and of itself is not enough. Even the gifted have to work to perfect their art. One cannot get by on just the gift. Hours of work and preparation are needed to create the masterpiece that will live for centuries in the hearts of others. Often those without a gift can produce great work if they work hard. When I was in college the question on the mind of every want-to-be artist and writer was: "Do I have talent? Am I gifted?" We sought the answer in the words of our professors. Unfortunately, they often could not predict who had the gift and who was willing to work hard enough to perfect their craft. Nobody else can answer the question for you. Only you can answer the questions: Do you have the talent? Are you willing to work hard to perfect that talent?

Tom Robbins

2011-12-20T05:00:00.004-05:00

"When they tell you to grow up, they mean stop growing."

— Tom Robbins

American Novelist

1936 -

Adults can be so mean to kids without even knowing it. And sometimes they will stifle creativity. Be aware of what you say to others. Whose light are you extinguishing with your words and actions? We don't mean to hurt those we love but often we do. This holiday season take stock of your words and actions.

Samuel Butler

2011-12-19T05:00:00.003-05:00

"Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule."

— Samuel Butler

English Novelist

1835 - 1902

Do you create by following rules? Or do you create by ear, feeling and instinct? I believe the best artists, writers and musicians create by their gut — ear, feeling and instinct. The best creative leaders know the rules but also know when and where to break the rules or throw them out the window. When the rules are telling you one thing and your gut is telling you another, follow your gut. You will be the better artist for it.

Richard Wilbur

2011-12-18T04:19:00.000-05:00

"All that we do
Is touched with ocean, yet we remain
On the shore of what we know."

— Richard Wilbur
American Poet
1921 -

There is a vast world of knowledge and wisdom that we know little or nothing about. We choose to live our lives on the shore of what we have learned. We judge everything in light of what we think we know and seldom venture out of our safe haven. Try to see the world from new angles. Explore the unknown and come away a better person because of it. Change who you are by increasing your knowledge and wisdom.

Roger Fry

2011-12-17T05:00:00.003-05:00

Self-Portrait
(1928)

"Art is a passion or it is nothing."

— Roger Fry

English Artist

1866 - 1934

Are you passionate about your creative work? Do you love what you do? If you are not passionate about your work, then I suggest you look for another line of work. Creative leaders need to be passionate about what they do. There are plenty of naysayers in your way who will keep you from succeeding if you are not passionate. Passion is one of the key ingredients to your success.

River with Poplars
(1912)

Jim Rohn

2011-12-16T05:00:00.003-05:00

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."

— Jim Rohn

American Author, Motivational Speaker

1930 - 2009

We all have dreams and goals but many of us never achieve them because we have not mastered the art of self-discipline. I define self-discipline as sacrificing short-term pleasure for the achievement of long-term goals. If you want to be a novelist but you never seem to find the time to write, you will never write your novel. If you want to be a painter but spend your time partying with friends and not painting, you may never produce any great paintings. The arts require a lot of self-discipline. We need to be able to sacrifice the pleasure of the moment for the achievement of long-term success.

Ethel Barrymore

2011-12-15T05:00:00.006-05:00

"You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself."

— Ethel Barrymore

American Actress

1879 - 1959

Many of us take ourselves too seriously. We need to learn to laugh at ourselves. We all make mistakes. We all screw-up. When we learn to laugh at our mistakes, we begin to heal the pain. None of us are perfect, even those of us who try to be. For years perfection has been one of my goals whether I was speaking or writing and I have had to learn a hard lesson that it is okay to make a mistake. I have had to learn to relax and to laugh at myself. In fact, mistakes make us better people, more human.

Mark Twain

2011-12-14T05:00:00.007-05:00

"A successful book is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it."

— Mark Twain

American Writer

1835 - 1910

Do you tell everything in your stories or do you leave somethings to the readers imagination? The best writing does not tell everything. The best writing allows the readers to read between the lines. The same is true of art. A painting shouldn't tell everything. Some things should be left to the imagination. What are you leaving out of your creative work? Do you know what should and what should not be left out?

Otto Dix

2011-12-13T05:00:00.006-05:00

Self-Portrait
(1913)

"Everybody thinks they know what art should be. But very few of them have the sense that is necessary to experience painting, that is the sense of sight, that sees colors and forms as living reality in the picture."

— Otto Dix

German Painter

1891 - 1969

I am fascinated by the artist's ability to see the world in terms of shapes and colors. It is like having a second sight. What is even more remarkable is that the artist is then able to reproduce on canvas what his mind sees. For a writer, the equivalent may be his ability to hear words and how they flow together to form a story. Or maybe there is no equivalent. How do you see the world? Through the eyes of an artist? Or through the eyes of a writer? Can you see shapes and colors when you look at the world? Do you hear the words in your mind as you put them on paper?

Parents of the Artist
(1921)

Stanley Spencer

2011-12-12T05:00:00.002-05:00

Self-Portrait
(1959)

"I love to dwell on the thought that the artist is next in divinity to the saint. He, like the saint, performs miracles."

— Stanley Spencer

English Painter

1891 - 1959

Do you perform miracles with your art? I think creativity is a miracle of the highest order — to be able to create something that previously did not exist. Creative leaders are rare people who generate new worlds and variations on existing worlds. Creativity is composed of spiritual energy. Every time we put brush to canvas or pen to paper, spiritual energy flows through us. We are in touch with a power greater than ourselves.

Tecumseh

2011-12-11T05:00:00.004-05:00

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself."

— Tecumseh

Shawnee Chief

(1768 - 1813)

This week someone in one of my audiences expressed concern about all the negativity we hear in our society. She was concerned about the future. And it is easy to see why she feels that way. We live in a time when many of our leaders gravitate towards the negative. Turn on any news channel and all you hear are negative stories and even worse — negative opinions. Much of what passes for news today is actually opinion. Read any newspaper and your heart fills with dread. It takes a lot to remain positive and thankful in this negative world. And yet thankful we must be for we are still alive. Thankful we must be for we woke to see the sun again. So give thanks every day this week that you have been given another day to write a poem, paint a picture or write a story. No one knows if he will wake up tomorrow morning. Be thankful that you can see another sunrise.

Stanley Kubrick

2011-12-10T05:00:00.003-05:00

"The very meaninglessness of life forces man to create his own meaning."

— Stanley Kubrick
American Filmmaker
1928 - 1999

Do you sometimes feel that life is meaningless? Do you ever wonder why you have been born into this world? Do you know what your purpose for being is? The creation of artistic work is one way that we can find meaning in our lives. We can find hope and meaning in our writing, painting and storytelling.