Quotes: Mary Oliver

"Attention without feeling, I began to learn, is only a report. An openness – an empathy – was necessary if the attention was to matter." 

–– Mary Oliver (1935-2019), American poet 

via 2020 Aboveground Art Supplies Knapsack Sketchbook, 2024 p. 44. 

Quotes: David Usher

"Our interests determine how we see the world. Those interests are pulled into tight focus while the rest of the scene is often blurred [...] The world each of us sees is just one possible level of sight. One lens. To be more creative we need to open up to other lenses and other ways of seeing. The more we can see, the more ideas we can use in our creative work."

–– David Usher (b. 1966), British-born Canadian musician, author, and public speaker 

Source: David Usher. Let the Elephants Run., p. 133. 

via: Striped notebook, 2016, p. 12. 

Quotes: Lao Tzu

"A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." 

–– Lao Tzu (c. 500 BCE), Chinese philosopher and writer 

via Sketchbook 13, 2010. p. 45

Quotes 303: Julia Cameron

"The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist. The beginner's humility and openness lead to exploration. Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with a few small and scary steps."

–– Julia Cameron (b. 1948), American writer 

via Sketchbook 6, 2008, p. 121