Tobias Wolff

"We are made to persist.  That's how we find out who we are."

— Tobias Wolff

American Author

1945 - 



The difference between the winners and the losers is that the winners keep going long after the losers have quit.  Many people want to be writers, painters, musicians, and actors.  Most quit too soon.  They let rejection and negative criticism cause them to give-up.  The creative journey takes a lot of stamina and persistence.

In 1914, Thomas Edison was 67 years old. He had lived a lifetime and invented hundreds of gadgets including the light bulb. He was a multi-millionaire living in Menlo Park, New Jersery. One night in February 1914 his phonograph factory burnt to the ground. Overnight he lost more than 3 million dollars and he had no insurance. The next day he was walking through his burnout factory and his son came over to console him. Edison turned to his son and he said: "There is great value in disaster. It burns up all our mistakes. Thank God we can start anew." He redesigned the phonograph, rebuild the factory and gave the world a brand new phonograph within three months. I don't care what challenges you face today or what is preventing you from continuing your creative journey. The difference between the winners and the losers is the winners keep going long after the losers have quit.

Nicholas Sparks

"When you chase a dream, you learn about yourself.  You learn your capabilities and limitations, and the value of hard work and persistence."

— Nicholas Sparks

American Novelist

1965 - 

Do you have what it takes to chase a dream?  Not everyone is willing to go the distance — to pay the price that success demands.  But whether you succeed or fail, you will gain insight and understanding into yourself.  And maybe what you learn is more important than winning the race.  We all have strengths and weaknesses, capabilities and limitations.  Most people work to improve their weaknesses.  I recommend that you focus on improving your strengths.  You may work for a lifetime to fix your limitations and still not overcome them.  Better to focus your energy on perfecting your strengths.  You don't have as far to travel and the success is more rewarding.

Here is Nicholas Sparks with some tips on writing.

William James

"Be not afraid of life.  Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact."

— William James

American Writer/Philosopher

1842 - 1910

Every person is unique.  There has never been a person just like you and there will never be a person just like you.  The life you lead is yours.  Nobody can lead the same life and do the same things, so that makes you special.  

Do not judge yourself by how much money you make or how much power you have or the creative work you produce.  Your success lies in the lives of the people you have touched.  And if that is only one person, then you are a success.  All of us in some way will touch the lives of our parents and our siblings.  So from the moment we are conceived, each of us is successful.

General Colin Powell

"There are no secrets to success.  It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure."

— General Colin Powell

American Author/Soldier

1937 - 

Some people look for the easy way, the next get rich scheme and the short-cuts to the top.  They don't exist for most of us.  If you want something bad enough, it takes preparation, hard work, learning from failure and persistence.  As artists and writers we understand this because we sometimes labor for years or even a lifetime with little or no success.  My words are simple:  keep writing, keep painting, keep living.

Michelangelo

"Your greatness is measured by your horizons."

— Michelangelo

1475 - 1564

Our progress is depended on our vision and the goals we set for ourselves.  If my goal is to own a house in the small town where I live, then I may never achieve the greatness I was meant to achieve.  If you want to achieve great things, then you need to set goals that will take you there.  Many of us underestimate our potential.  Set bigger goals for yourself.  See yourself bigger than you are today.  As an artist or writer, don't limit your opportunities.  Stretch yourself.  Shoot for bigger magazines and larger galleries.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." 

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

American Poet

1803 -1882

Dale Carnegie

"Take a chance!  All life is a chance.  The man who goes the furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare."

— Dale Carnegie

1888 - 1955

Many of us are afraid to take a risk, to try something new.  We keep waiting for the right time.  Unfortunately, there is never going to be a right time.  When we stop risking, we start dying one day at a time.  The more safe we feel the less risk we take.  Security and safety are illusions of the mind.  We are never 100% safe.  Is there a risk that you should be taking but are not?  Take the risk.  

Opportunity

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Opportunity

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Charles Dickens

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else."

— Charles Dickens

1812 - 1870

Even the most challenging of individuals has redeeming value.  No one is useless.  We all have something to offer our fellow human beings.  Maybe it is a piece of bread.  A handshake.  A pat on the back.  We all have something to give.  The winners in this world are those who give more than they get.  Reach out to those around you and share of yourself.  As artists and writers, we touch the lives of the people who view our paintings or read our writings.  And sometimes, often unknown to us, lives are changed.  So appreciate what you are sharing with the world.  You are not worthless if you make someone's life better.