The past couple of weeks on my Patch.com blog, I’ve been talking about handling rejection, finding truths in criticism, and taking risks. The last two discussions were inspired by quotes I’d come across from Tyler Perry and Laurence Olivier.

So that got me thinking about inspirational quotes, sayings that can help you through the rough times, that push you forward toward your goal. I’ve collected several over the years and keep them handy to read when I’m feeling discouraged or frustrated with my writing. Some were directed to me personally from writing teachers or other writers, some speak to writing and creativity, and some inspire and motivate.

Below, I copied some of those quotes. Do you have any quotes that particularly sing to you?

“The essence of fiction is discovering a truth of the heart.” ~Anastasia Suen, children’s book author

“Anything truly good is going to be partly experimental.” ~Richard Kazarian, interior designer

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist after he grows up.” ~Picasso

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal. Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong attitude.” ~Thomas Jefferson

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” ~Winston Churchill

“A few fly bites cannot stop a spirited horse.” ~Mark Twain

“Every oak tree started out as a couple of nuts who stood their ground.” ~Anonymous