Quotes: Seneca

"Leisure without learning is death."

–– Seneca (4 BC - AD 65), Roman Stoic philosopher, dramatist, statesman 

Quotes: Milton Glaser

"Fail more often in order to find out what you're capable of learning." 

–– Milton Glaser (1929-2020), American graphic designer

Source: quiltscornerstone, Instagram, October 14, 2024.

via: Sketchbook P 16, 2024, p. 6. 

Quotes: Gary Marcus

"A lot of learning is about breaking bad habits." 

–– Gary Marcus (b. 1970), American psychologist, cognitive scientist, author 

Source: Gary Marcus. Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning. New York: Penguin Press, 2012; p. 74. 

via: Commonplace Book 2013-2014, 2013, p. 3.

Quotes: Quincy Jones

"Big dreams don't come without big failures. Things will get tough and you will make mistakes. Repeatedly. We're human and we're going to flounder, but it's what you do to get back up that matters. If I allowed myself to stay in the downward swings, then I'd still be there. Similarly, if you miss the mark on your first try, don't give up. Success is a cumulative process; it's not a one-time event. When you're just starting out, it's one mess-up after another. Winning one, then losing the next. After a little while, the "mess-ups" turn into valuable experiences. The more opportunities you have to win, lose, or barely make, the more chances you'll have to convert those experiences into fuel. You don't learn as much just from winning or playing it safe."

–– Quincy Jones (b. 1933), American record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. 

Source: Quincy Jones. 12 Notes on Life and Creativity. New York: Abrams Image, 2022; p. 127-8. 

via: Commonplace Book 2022, 2023, p. 125.

Quotes: Steven Heighton

"Let failure be your workshop. See it for what it is: the world walking you through a tough but necessary semester, free of tuition."

–– Steven Heighton (1961-2022), Canadian novelist, poet, short-story writer 

Source: Steven Heighton. Work Book. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press, 2011, p. 25.

via: Commonplace Book 2022, 2023, p.114.  

Quotes: Leo Buscaglia

"Change is the end result of all true learning." 

–– Leo Buscaglia (1924-1998), American writer, professor, and motivational speaker 

via: Sketchbook N 14, 2024, p. 21.

Quotes: Christopher Alexander

"In a society which emphasizes teaching, children and students –– and adults –– become passive and unable to think or act for themselves. Creative, active individuals can only grow up in a society which emphasizes learning instead of teaching." 

–– Christopher Alexander (1936-2022), Austrian-born British-American architect, author, and design theorist 

Source: Christopher Alexander et. al. A Pattern Language. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977; p. 100.

via: Commonplace Book, 2024, p.11.

Quotes: Russian proverb

"Repetition is the mother of all learning."

–– Old Russian proverb 

Source: Austin Kleon, February 20, 2024

via: Sketchbook L 2024, p. 2.

Quotes: Tracee Ellis Ross

"I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me." 

–– Tracee Ellis Ross (b. 1972), American actress, singer, producer, and television host

Quotes: Neil Gaiman

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something. So that's my wish... Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art or love, or work or family or live. Whatever it is you're scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever."

–– Neil Gaiman (b. 1960), British author and screenwriter 

Source: Nitch, December 24, 2019.

via: Art Alternatives Knapsack Sketchbook J 2020-2023, 2022, p. 26.

Quotes: Marcus Garvey

"Always try to associate with people from whom you can learn something. All the knowledge that you want is in the world, and all you have to do is go and seek it." 

–– Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator 

Quotes: Helen Macdonald

"Being a novice is safe. When you are learning how to do something, you do not have to worry about whether or not you are good at it. But when you have done something, have learned how to do it, you are not safe any more. Being an expert opens you up to judgement." 

–– Helen Macdonald (b. 1970), British writer, naturalist, and scholar

Source: Helen Macdonald. H is for Hawk. via Austin Kleon tumblr July 22, 2015 

via Sketchbook A, 2015, p. 20. 

Quotes 140: Neil Gaiman

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something. So that's my wish... Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you're scared to doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever." 

–– Neil Gaiman (b. 1960), British author and screenwriter