Octavia E. Butler

"You don't start out writing good stuff.  You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it.  That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence."

— Octavia E. Butler

American Novelist

1947 - 2006

Practicing any of the arts takes patience and persistence.  Nothing happens overnight.  Many people quit too soon.  They become frustrated because what they produce does not match what is in their imagination.  And this quitting begins early in life.  Today I saw a four-year old girl who was working on a painting of the ocean became frustrated because the painting did not match what was in her mind.  She burst into tears.  Has this happened to you?  Do you become so frustrated that you quit?  Do you give up on your work?

Here is a video about Octavia Butler.

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Christopher Reeve

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

— Christopher Reeve

American Actor

1952 - 2004

Life is filled with obstacles that are designed to test our desire and persistence.  Many people give up on their dreams and hopes much too soon.  Others never realize that they achieved their dreams because they do not understand their true desires.  How are you doing with the obstacles in your life?  Are you still going after your dreams or have you given up?

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Flannery O'Connor

"Writing is like giving birth to a piano sideways.  Anyone who perseveres is either talented or nuts."

— Flannery O'Connor

American Novelist

1925 - 1964

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Garrison Keillor

"What keeps our faith cheerful is the extreme persistence of gentleness and humor."

— Garrison Keillor

American Writer

1942 -

Do you have faith in your creativity?  Do you believe in yourself and your work?  Do you wake up cheerful each day eager to begin creating?  Gentleness and humor go a long way to making the day joyful.  Cultivate humor in your life and heart.  Be gentle in your criticism of yourself, your work and your friends.  We all need a little more faith to help us through the challenges we face.



Here is Garrison Keillor at work.

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Moliere

"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?

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Herodotus

"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.  

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George C. Scott

"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.  

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Lisa Alther

"It had been fourteen years and I hadn't had anything published.  I had 250 rejection slips.  I got my first novel published and it was called Kinflicks.  It turned out to be a best seller."

— Lisa Alther

American Novelist

1944 -

The creative arts are not for the weak of will.  The creative arts require commitment, persistence and self-discipline in the face of cold-hearted rejection.  Do you have the self-discipline to stay focused when the world is screaming that you should quit and find a normal line of work?  Do you have the strength to keep going when you have received 250 rejection letters?  How long are you willing to wait for success?  Two years?  Five years?  Ten?  Twenty?

Listen to Lisa talk about the gravel road that eventually led to her success.

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