Hey 👋 - Dave here.

Happy Saturday morning.

Is time speeding up? Because this week flew by!

Here’s a quickie piece to jumpstart your weekend.

Read time: 3 minutes

Keep creating!

I’m notorious for getting in my own way.

So I stockpile quotes to get the juices flowing.

Check out these 12 quotes along with my 12 takes to kindle your creativity.

1. Napoleon Hill said,

“Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you can’t control what you do.”

One of my tenets says growing your business is an inside job. The same is true for your writing.

First compose your headspace. Then master your page breaks.

2. Michael Jackson said, 

“Just because you read it in a magazine, or see it on a TV screen, don't make it factual.”

This is a little levity to keep in mind if you’re paying attention to the never-ending news cycles and social media feeds.

3. Leo Babauta said,

“At the end of the day, the questions we ask of ourselves determine the type of people that we will become.”

Most people only let other people ask them questions. Turns out you should be the core inquirer because you owe it to yourself to be your own North Star.

4. Maya Angelou said,

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”

You must KISS the page with every stroke.

And KISS means “Keep It Simple Storyteller."

Don't try to get too clever because you might outsmart your best writing. Seriously, all you need to do is write like you speak for people to keep reading.

5. Franz Kafka said, 

“I am free and that is why I am lost.”

What does One do with themselves when they break free from the shackles of their 9-5 or past worldviews?

If you’re me, you get lost, freak your beak, and work nonstop to build back your best parts.

My point is the more time you have to create, the more time you have to procrastinate. Focus on what matters most today and just take your next best step.

6. St. Francis of Assisi said,

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

Do you believe a thought-provoking story can make a world of difference?

Do you trust in the power of your future narrative?

Fan your flames to fire up your potential.

7. Joseph Campbell said,

“I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”

Audiences want to escape into your fantasy world. They want to meet the true nature of your characters. They want you to breed curiosity as the plot thickens.

Never give up on giving people an experience they can’t get anywhere else.

8. Kurt Cobain said,

“I would rather be hated for what I am, than loved for what I am not.”

Trust the voice of your creative spirit - because you don’t have to look far to find your writing voice.

9. Aristotle said,

“Hope is a waking dream.”

I believe in miracles. I’ve encountered them firsthand. And I expect more.

Word-of-mouth can market your story faster than anything else.

This is why you must remember to have faith that just one breakout story can change lives, starting with your own.

10. Ralph Waldo Emerson said,

“Every artist was first an amateur.”

Remember to give yourself a little grace. Every craft demands a learning curve.

Most definitely turn toward accelerators, but never forget the smallest actions always keep you moving forward.

11. Eleanor Roosevelt said,

“I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.”

Creative stagnation happens all the time to rising storytellers.

Stay alive in 2024 by promising to explore new ideas, people, and places.

Who knows, maybe one of them will be the missing piece that takes you to the finish line.

12. Charles Bukowski said,

“If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it is your duty to let it burn you to ashes.”

Are you destined to share stories that fans rave about?

Do not let your Light be extinguished.

Become the One you’re meant to be…

That’s it for this Saturday.

See ya next week!

— Dave