Quotes to Live By

Not many people know that I have long kept journals where I hand-write quotes from different people. Being a writer, I am fascinated by words and constantly look to the words of others as a source of inspiration both for professional and personal reasons. I started my first quote journal in high school and am now on my fourth book. I have literally thousands of quotes from all different people and on practically every subject imaginable.    

When I first started writing down quotes, I wondered what on earth I’d ever do with them. If anything, I assumed I would just keep them for myself and perhaps glance back over them from time to time. While I do often flip through the pages of my books in hope of being comforted when I’m feeling sad or frustrated, I have found many other uses for my quote collection.

In writing articles, I often use one of my quotes at the very beginning in hopes of provoking readers to ponder on a specific topic relating to the piece. I have used quotes in letters I’ve written to people when I recalled one that expressed a thought better than anything I could come up with. And I’ve even found myself reciting certain quotes I know by heart to people when a good opportunity presents itself.

My quotes herald from celebrities, athletes, actors, friends, and people I’ve never heard of. Some come from experienced writers and others are merely lines I underlined while reading a book. And because I am a poet at heart, I throw in the occasional poem I stumble upon on as well. The topics drift in and out of whatever I am pondering or struggling with at that moment—be it relationships, love, faith, writing, loss, work, persistence, forgiveness,  But regardless of where the quote came from or who said it, they are all beautiful words that I cherished from the moment I first read them. In wanting to remember these words, I write them down.  My quote books have become my own personal bibles of wisdom and inspiration and my hope is to someday pass them along to my children so that they can better come to understand who I am, what I believe in, and what why I write.

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes right now…and some of the ones most recently added to my books:

“Making a hundred friends is not a miracle. The miracle is to make a single friend who will stand by your side even when hundreds are against you.” (Unknown)

“Just because someone has more followers than you does not mean they’re better than you. Hitler had millions. Jesus had 12.” (Unknown)

“Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” (Carol Bucher)

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” (Muhammad Ali)

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” (Neale Donald Walsch)

“I am thankful to all those who said NO to me. It’s because of them I did it myself.” (Albert Einstein)

“A writer is a priest of eternal imagination transmuting the daily bread of experience into the radiant body of everlasting life.” (James Joyce)

“Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” (Vincent Van Gogh)

“We are asleep with compasses in our hands.” (W.S. Merwin)

“If you grit your teeth and show real determination, you’ll always have a chance.” (Charles M. Schulz)

“I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes that makes planning my day difficult.” (E.B. White)

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” (Pablo Picasso)

“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.” (Gloria Steinem)

“I almost wish we were butterflies and lived but three summer days—three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.” (John Keats)

What I've Learned as a Writer...

A few months ago I was approached by a former college professor who inquired as to whether I would be interested in teaching a small writing class, one morning a week before school at one of the elementary schools in town. Apparently the school was looking for someone and she suggested to the principal that I would be perfect for the job. Having no experience or real qualifications to teach, I was flabbergasted at her recommendation. But I also felt a great sense of pride. I have never had a desire to teach…none whatsoever….but I immediately saw this as an opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zone and try to ignite a spark for writing in others. After all, if it hadn’t been for my creative writing teacher in high school, I might never have pursued it as a major in college. This was my chance to impact students in the same way that my teacher had.

So I accepted.

I have only taught a few classes so far and am still struggling to find a foothold in this whole teaching business. I have dozens of ideas for writing prompts to keep the kids busy writing, but what I can’t figure out is what to actually TEACH them about writing. Grammar and the technical aspects of writing are unimportant and pointless at that age....and any age in my opinion. It’s always been my belief that anyone has the capacity in them to be a writer as long as they have true passion about what they are trying to write about. Technicalities can be taught and dealt with later. Passion is the real requirement of writing and the one thing you can’t teach.

While struggling on figuring out what to teach my kids and how to make them better writers, I began pondering all of the things I have learned about writing and being a writer in the past several years. They aren’t necessarily the kinds of things I would preach to a 4^th grader but they are what I would tell anyone if they asked me what being a writer entails.

1.    Writing won’t guarantee you money, success, fame, or respect. But when done for every reason outside of those, it will bring endless fulfillment and a sense of purpose.

2.    Writing is an extremely lonely act, so it’s important to be comfortable with spending lots of time with yourself and your thoughts.

3.    Learn to toughen up your skin early on and accept that you will hear the word “no” far more often than you will ever hear “yes.”

4.    Failure and rejection is hardly a death sentence. It just means you need to keep trying and knock on the gate (or editor’s door) a little louder next time.

5.    Persistence will often times get you farther than talent, reputation, or the size of your portfolio.

6.    When you are passionate about something, pick up a pen and start writing about it right in that moment.

7.    You are never done with or above the learning process of writing. There is always something new you can learn and ways you can improve on your craft.

8.    Always take yourself seriously as a writer and don’t be ashamed or reluctant to tell people that’s what you do.

9.    Remember to thank those people who have helped you along the way to becoming a writer. People love to feel appreciated and will be more willing to help you out again in the future if you appreciate them in the beginning.

10.Write only if you cannot live without writing; write what only you alone can write.

11.Don’t fret over people who belittle your job as a writer. J.K. Rowling once scrawled ideas for Harry Potter on napkins at diners and now she has her own theme park near Disney World.

12.No matter how many or few things you’ve had published, always present yourself and your work in a professional manner. People will be more likely to take you seriously if you take yourself seriously first.

13.Take writing jobs and write about things that push you out of your comfort zone.

14.Writers often write while bleeding, but just know that those are the moments when you’ll produce your best work.

15.Write about the things that other people are too afraid, ashamed, or unable to write about.

16.The first time someone besides your mom cries after reading a piece of your work, you know you’ve really done some good work.

17.Having people ask you to help them write something may turn into the most rewarding moment of your career.

18.Describe, describe, describe. When people read something, make sure they can really see, hear, taste, feel, and touch all of the sights and sounds you are talking about. Being able to bring the page to life is what separates out the good writers from the truly great ones.

19.When all else fails, go outdoors when seeking inspiration and reason to write.

20.There may be times when writing brings you to your knees and nearly breaks you. But in the end, writing may also be the one thing that saves you.

21.Writing is not for the faint-hearted. It takes real guts to enter into and persevere through the work and life of a writer. And even if you aren’t one of those people, at least respect the ones who are trying to make it.

Transitioning into Fall

Even before crimson and orange hues saturate the trees around town, I can tell it is fall. There’s just always this moment in late September or October when I step outside and I suddenly feel it...that shift in the air that reminds that the seasons are changing---and life along with it.  

To me, fall is a time of transition. You trade in your sun-faded flip flops and tank tops for tall leather boots and knit scarves. The days grow shorter and mornings are often stenciled with frost. Kids head back to school and families start planning for the holiday season. You wondered how it took so long to get to summer, but before you knew it, it was over.

Fall is also a time to pause and reflect on the past year, which is rapidly transitioning into the next, and to daydream of all the things you hope will come to pass in the coming months. I was doing just that the other evening when I caught a glimpse of Spring Meadow Lake out my window. The water was placid, without even the faintest ripple across its surface. Trees dipped in brilliant shades of yellow wrapped themselves around the lake’s edge. With so many anxious and nostalgic feelings about fall bouncing around in my head, I longed for the sort of peace that Spring Meadow echoed that day. 

So I decided to go for a walk.

There is a trail that winds around Spring Meadow that’s approximately one mile long. There were several people jogging and briskly maneuvering strollers along the trail when I got there. I, however, chose to meander along slowly trying to absorb the overwhelming silence of the lake, save for the gravel crunching under my feet. The sun dangled low in the sky and I knew that the peaceful fall day would soon be over.

I made two loops around the lake that day without even realizing it. As I walked along I thought about so many things.

I thought about the friend I had seen earlier that day that is in her final few weeks of pregnancy. Her face absolutely glowed when she ran her hand across her belly telling me how anxious she was getting. She will welcome her first child into the world by Halloween and thus begin the biggest transition of her life—becoming a mother.

I thought about how my boyfriend of eight years has lived in another town from me for the past three years and how I much I desperately hope to close that gap soon and transition into starting a family together---like everyone my age seems to be busy doing.

I thought about how much progress I have made as a writer in the four years since graduating college. Between two newspapers, two blogs, and one magazine, my plate is forever full of opportunities to write. I couldn’t help but wonder how much further I will have progressed as a writer by the time the snow of winter has come and gone and summer graces the Montana skies again. Transitioning and growing are all part of being a writer after all.

And I thought about Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, which always make me think about distant friends and family. Though there are some I seldom see or talk to anymore, I keep track of their transitions in life like engagements, weddings, babies, new jobs, and vacations through texts, photos and posts on Facebook.

I finished my walk feeling more at peace with the dynamic nature of this fall season. Like the metamorphic leaves around me, I hope the changes of fall will leave my life and those around me even more brilliant than before. 

The Joys of Being Published

I still remember the first glorious taste I had of being a published writer...

While taking a creative writing class in high school, I submitted a poem called “After the Day” in a writing contest my teacher told the class about. She told us that the pieces selected would later be published in a small publication called “Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans.” Several weeks passed after my teacher mailed out our submissions before I received a letter informing me that my poem had been selected. I was both shocked and ecstatic at the prospect of having something I wrote actually published and read by others. 

There was a small fee for each copy of the publication you wanted. Since this was my first published work, my mom and I both figured that we would need at least a dozen copies. It might have been overkill, but it’s not every day a kid gets published. We mailed out our request for the copies and then began the grueling waiting process.

Maybe I’m a lone writer in this feeling, but while receiving news that a piece of your work is being published is exciting, it is not what I anxiously wait for like a child on Christmas morning.  What I wait for is that moment when I actually hold the book/magazine/newspaper in my hand and observe my name beaming out from the pages with inky solidity. I wait for the ink to smear off on my fingertips so I know that I’m not dreaming. That’s the moment I know it is real. That’s when I feel the sheer ecstasy of what it means to be a writer.

After months of waiting and checking the mailbox daily, it finally arrived! It was a very small, thin book… but it was a book….with my poem in it! I dashed back to the house from the mailbox, my bare feet scratching against the asphalt driveway and hollering at my mom the whole way.

It was my first taste of feeling like a real writer…..it was intoxicating and addicting....and still is.

In the four years since graduating college I have had a number of articles published in various publications including Queen City News, the Helena Independent Record, and the Helena Vigilante. And regardless of the length or subject matter of the piece, I am still always excited to see the final, printed version.

But after four years of writing for various newspapers, my desire to spread my wings in another direction finally hit. After pestering the editor of Distinctly Montana magazine for a few months, I finally received my first assignment. “Twitterpated,” is the only appropriate word I can think of to describe my reaction to reading that email asking if I would write about the Montana pronghorn. I knew absolutely nothing about pronghorns, but from that moment, on I was determined to write about them as though they were as mesmerizing and glamorous as the Eiffel Tower illuminating the Paris skyline at night. Over the course of the next month, I poured more time and effort into what would only be a 700 word article than I have into any piece of writing in years. I was determined, as always, to prove myself as a writer.

After a month of researching the animal commonly referred to as the “speed goat” and even chasing after a herd of them on a four-wheeler, I completed my 750 word article. I emailed it to the editor and hoped that it would measure up. A few days later, she wrote me back and said that the staff thought it was great and that it would be printed in mid-September. 

Time has never moved so slowly as that month of me waiting for the magazine to print. And even when an online version of it was released beforehand, I wasn’t satisfied. Because like I said, the physical act of seeing and holding your piece is what reminds you that you aren’t dreaming, but rather, living the dream.

The day the magazine hit the stands, I rushed right out to grab as many copies as possible. I even made my mom take a picture of me holding the magazine amid a backdrop of colorful magazine covers. Part of me wanted to brag to others that among all those fancy covers was an article with my by-line on it. And part of me simply needed additional proof that I did in fact have my first article ever published in a magazine. 

Myself, and I think it would be safe to say, that most writers do not write in the hope of gaining some sort of celebrity status at being published. They write because they have been called to do so, because it is who they are, and because they couldn’t imagine living life without writing. But seeing your carefully sculpted words in print does bring a tremendous sense of accomplishment and joy to a writer’s heart. While my transition into magazine writing is small yet, it is still another step towards my dream. Someday, I hope to walk into any book store in the world and find my name and words gracing the cover of one of the thousands of books so humbly shelved on a bookcase. That, I believe, will be the crowning moment of my life.