"Small things with great love. ... It is not how much we do, but how much love we put into the doing. And it is not how much we give, but how much love we put into the giving. To God there is nothing small."
–– Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), Albanian-born Indian Roman Catholic nun
via Commonplace Book 2006-2009, 2007, p. 117.
"Confront the difficult while it is still easy; accomplish the great task by a series of small acts."
–– Lao Tzu (c. 500 BCE), Chinese philosopher and writer
Source: Tao Te Ching
via Commonplace Book 2006-2009, 2007, p. 118.
"I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big successes. I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, yet which, if given time, will rend the hard monuments of human pride."
–– William James (1842-1910), American psychologist and philosopher
via Commonplace Book 2006-2009, 2007, p. 129.
"I close my [studio] day with a process I've come to enjoy over the years, creating small works that allow me to play outside my usual medium of oil painting. It's my way of experimenting with materials I'm not typically known for, such as polish and calamine, and working on different surfaces such as wood, paper or canvas. I also explore using watercolours, oil pastels and soft pastels. These pieces are more about embracing mistakes and letting go of the day's creative energy. I don't judge myself when creating these works; they're a space to experiment and release any built-up tension. If one of these works sparks more interest or inspiration overnight, I'll revisit it the next morning, but in the moment, it's just about letting go and playing."
–– Songezo Zantsi (b. 1991), South African visual artist
Source: House and Leisure South Africa, Autumn 2025, Digest/Studio visits, Songezo Zantsi, p. 229.
via: Sketchbook U 21, 2025, p. 8-9.
"The day you catch an idea you fall in love with, even a small one, is a beautiful day."
–– David Lynch (1946-2025), American filmmaker, visual artist, musician and actor
via: Sketchbook U 21, 2025, p. 13.
"You know, I"ve come to believe perfection only lives in little moments. You know? Can't be sustained over hours. Just instances, you know? Little wisps of time. Then the world becomes imperfect again."
–– Character John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner
Source: Yellowstone 5.6 episode: "Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and You."
"Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today. It's been that way all this year. It's been that way so many times."
–– Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), American writer and journalist
Source: Nitch, Instagram, December 9, 2024
"Small wins are exactly what they sound like, and are part of how keystone habits create widespread changes. A huge body of research has shown that small wins have enormous power, an influence disproportionate to the accomplishments of the victories themselves. "Small wins are a steady application of a small advantage, one Cornell professor [Karl E. Weick] wrote in 1984. "Once a small win has been accomplished, forces are set in motion that favour another small win." Small wins fuel transformative changes by leveraging tiny advantages into patterns that convince people that bigger achievements are within reach."
–– Charles Duhigg (b. 1974), American journalist and non-fiction author
Source: Charles Duhigg. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2012; p. 112.
via Commonplace Book 2013-2014, 2013, p. 18.
"Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki-Roshi said the same thing, more or less about spiritual endeavours: "After you have practiced for a while, you will realize that it is not possible to make rapid, extraordinary progress. Even though you try very hard, the progress you make is always little by little."
–– Rebecca Solnit (b. 1961), American author
Source: Rebecca Solnit. The Faraway Nearby. New York: Viking, 2013; p. 176-177.
via: Commonplace Book 2013-2014, 2014, p.81.
"In spite of illness, in spite even of the arch-enemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways."
–– Edith Wharton (1862-1937), American writer and designer
Source: Austin Kleon newsletter October 25, 2024.
via: Sketchbook O 15, 2024, p. 18.
"In theory, consistency sounds like discipline and determination –– strong and unwavering. But in practice, consistency is about being adaptable. When time is tight, shrink the task. When energy is low, do the simpler version. It's not about being rigid; it's about finding ways to keep showing up, no matter what. Your habits don't have to be fixed –– they should evolve with your day. The key is not in doing the same thing over and over again, but in never stopping, even when life gets in the way. Each step forward, no matter how small, keeps you on track. Adaptability isn't the opposite of consistency; it's the art of staying the course, no matter the obstacles."
–– author unknown
Source: Serene Stoics, Instagram, September 29, 2024.
via: Sketchbook N 14, 2024, p. 28-29.
"Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness."
–– Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), American writer
Source: Daily Philosopher Instagram, September 2, 2024.
via: Sketchbook N 14, 2024, p. 27.
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant."
–– Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Scottish novelist and poet
via 2020 Aboveground Art Supplies Knapsack Sketchbook, 2024 p. 45.
"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."
–– Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Dutch Post-Impressionist painter
via: Commonplace Book, 2022, 2022, p. 6.
"The psychology professor Robert Boice spent his career studying the writing habits of his fellow academics, reaching the conclusion that the most productive and successful among them generally made writing a smaller part of their daily routine than the others, so that it was much more feasible to keep going with it day after day. They cultivated the patience to tolerate the fact that they probably wouldn't be producing very much on any individual day, with the result that they produced much more over the long term. They wrote in daily sessions –– sometimes as short as ten minutes, and never longer than four hours –– and they religiously took weekends off."
–– Oliver Burkeman (b. 1975), British author and journalist
Source: Oliver Burkeman. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. New York: Allen Lane/Penguin Random House, 2021, p.181.
via: Commonplace Book, 2022, 2024, p. 140.
"Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
"Do not neglect the day of small things, for little beginnings have big endings."
–– Florence Scovel Shinn (1871-1940), American artist and book illustrator
via: Art Alternatives Knapsack Sketchbook L 2024, p. 14.
"Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tiptoe if you must, but take a step."
–– Naeem Callaway, American pastor, author, and mentor
"One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak."
–– G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English writer
via: Day In & Day Out Notes, 2024, p. 53.
