“In quoting others, we cite ourselves.”
I love quotes.
As you may have noticed, I run a featured quote on the home page of this site that is changed out monthly, and also use quotes as lead-ins in the mashup galleries to gain the user's attention and provide a springboard for content to follow. And, as the quote above by writer/novelist Julio Cortazar relates, quotes that we cite say a lot about who we are.
According to this Fast Company article, there are three main scientific reasons behind why quotes motivate us:
The Coaching Factor
"The message that someone else believes you can achieve what you want to achieve can be a powerful incentive to try harder. If your teacher, coach, or mentor believes you can do something, you’re more likely to do it."
The Power of Language
"There’s also power in the words themselves...people have an 'appetite for well-expressed wisdom, motivational or otherwise.'"
The Primal Factor
"'Humans are aspirational. We want to look up to role models and leaders and follow what they ask...Leaders and their words–inspirational quotes–affect us on a primal level.'”
For me, the latter two reasons resonate the most. And as a creative type, quotes by other artists and creators carry extra weight. Here are a few of my favorites:
“Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye, it is in the mind.”
- Agnes Martin
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for.”
- Georgia O'Keefe
“Mistakes can't be erased, but they move you from your present position.”
- Richard Diebenkorn
“I am not interested in the new but in trying to make paintings that refuse to grow old.”
- Jake Berthot
Do you find quotes inspirational? If so, what are some of your favorites? Please post using the Comments form below!