Quotes 307: Colette

"You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm." 

–– Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954), French writer

via Sketchbook 7, 2009, p. 52.

Quotes 306: Friedrich Nietzsche

"We have art so that we will not be destroyed by the truth." 

–– Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) German poet and philosopher 

via Sketchbook 7, 2009, p. 46

Quotes 305: Stendhal

"To make women truly equal would be the surest sign of civilization, and it would double the intellectual strength of humankind." 

–– Stendhal, pen name of Marie-Henri Beyle (1783-1842), French writer

via Sketchbook 6, 2008, p. 127

Quotes 304: Joseph Campbell

"A sacred space is any space that is set apart from the usual context of life. ... You really don't have a sacred space, a rescue land, until you find somewhere to be that's not a wasteland, some field of action where there is a spring of ambrosia –– a joy that comes from inside, not something external that puts joy into you –– a place that lets you experience your own will and your own intention."

–– Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), American author and professor 

via Sketchbook 6, 2008, p. 121.

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

Quotes 302: T.S. Eliot

"The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time." 

–– T.S. Eliot (1888-1965), American-born British author 

via Sketchbook 6, 2008, p. 25

Quotes 301: Amor Towles

"But just as important, a careful accounting of days allows the isolated to note that another year of hardship has been endured; survived; bested. Whether they have found the strength to persevere through a tireless determination or some foolhardy optimism, those 365 hatch marks stand as proof of their indomitability. For after all, if attentiveness should be measured in minutes and discipline measured in hours, then indomitability must be measured in years. Or, if philosophical investigations are not to your taste, then let us simply agree that the wise man celebrates what he can." 

–– Amor Towles (b. 1964), American novelist

Amor Towles. A Gentleman in Moscow. New York: Viking (Penguin Random House), 2016; p. 109-110. 

via Commonplace Book 2020-2021, p. 138

P.S. Today is the 615th day of the pandemic.