Studio Friday - favorite quotations...

"Quotes are so inspiring. They give us comfort in rough times or the push we need to overcome our obstacles or fears. They enlighten us and give clarity and "A-ha's". Some we keep around for a life time and let them guide us, others we forget about. We work with them maybe or pass them on to others."
~ Robyn
There are dozens of quotes that I find inspiring, but I chose just two of my favorites...
I first heard this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt sometime in high school. It struck a chord with me because, like many high school students, I had an all-consuming fear of public speaking, and virtually all forms of getting up in public and attracting attention to myself. Most of my attempts up to that point had ended in disaster. For me, this quote is about conquering your fears by facing them head on, and I have never found this piece of logic to fail, both in my art and the rest of my life. I do not display the quote in my studio, because it has become a part of me after all these years. It is a familiar mantra that I repeat whenever I feel anxiety mounting over something that I "think I cannot do."

Another favorite of mine is by Thoreau, whose writings on art and nature are among the truest words I have ever read. (In spite of his unkempt hair and rather homely looks, I would have loved to know the man.) This quote really speaks for itself. I think there are dozens of books and articles written that essentially say, in many more words, what this one statement does. Work hard at what you love and success will follow.