“Dare to be happy. Most people don’t allow themselves the luxury of being enthusiastic, light-hearted, inspired, relaxed, or happy…It seems that a great number of people are frightened at what a happy demeanor would look like to other people…This is a very unfortunate form of self-denial.” ~Richard Carlson

“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” ~Cyril Connolly

“Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors.” ~Rhys Alexander

“There comes a time when you have to stand up and shout: This is me damn it! I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel, love the way I love! I am a whole complex package. Take me… or leave me. Accept me - or walk away! Do not try to make me feel like less of a person, just because I don’t fit your idea of who I should be and don’t try to change me to fit your mold. If I need to change, I alone will make that decision. When you are strong enough to love yourself 100%, good and bad - you will be amazed at the opportunities that life presents you.” ~ Stacey Charter

“Insanity is the ability to see the truth behind the lies. Since people can’t handle the truth they lock us up … control us . . make us believe … lies …” ~ Anon

“If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise.” ~ Johann von Goethe

“Earth is an insane asylum, to which other plants deport their lunatics.” ~ Voltaire

“For me, insanity is super-sanity, the normal is psychotic. Normal means lack of imagination, lack of creativity.” ~ Jean Dubuffet

“Never be bullies into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, define yourself.” ~ Harvy Firestein

“Being a good writer is 3 percent talent, 97 percent not being distracted by the Internet.” ~Anonymous

“Ships? / Sure I’ll sail them. / Show me the boat, / if it’ll float, / I’ll sail it. / Men? / Yes, I’ll love them. / If they’ve got the style, / To make me smile, / I’ll love them. / Life? / Course I’ll live it./Let me have breath, / Just to my death/And I’ll live it. Failure? / I’m not ashamed to tell it, / I never learned to spell it. / Not failure./” ~Maya Angelou, “Call Letters: Mrs. V.B”

“We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.” ~Marilyn Monroe

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.” ~Neil Gaiman (Dream dangerously, everyone.)