We love ourselves a good quote and so we asked our community to share their favorite quotes and affirmations with us and we’ve highlighted some below.

Samantha Englerth | Life Purpose Coach, Jikiden Reiki Teacher & Practitioner, & Intuitive Medium

A guiding quote in my life is Robert Frost’s, “The best way out is always through.” The beauty of this quote is that if I am willing to face and accept a situation as it is instead of running from it, and if I can process my feelings in real time with self-compassion while seeing this challenge as a gift for growth, a miracle can occur: a healing, a new perspective, and a solid jumping point from which to create something better. That brings me to another quote I love. “The way of the miracle-worker is to see all human behavior as one of two things: either love, or a call for love,” by Marianne Williamson. More love is always the answer, so the best way out is to walk through a challenging situation with as much love and compassion as I can – for myself and for others. Read more>>

Jonas Myrin | Artist, Songwriter & Producer

“Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.” I love that; that music has the power to open a closed heart. It’s a universal language that can reach deeper than words, it can uplift and unite us. I really hope my music can do just that to people. Read more>>

Bo Bridges | Fine Art & Commercial Photographer / Gallery Owner

“Fear the Life Unlived”. I’ve been fortunate to travel around the world with my work. And for me, my work blends nicely with my lifestyle. I enjoy being outdoors and I love adventure and sports. So I set out a long time ago to try to pair all of my loves in life with my “work.” And I want to experience whatever it is I’m doing. I want to absorb the energy in both my cameras and feel it in my body. I love getting my heart rate up and feeling the adrenaline. But I don’t want to always be a spectator on the sidelines. I was busy shooting all of the best athletes in the world for years and mostly focusing on editorial and advertising work. But as I traveled to these exotic locations to shoot each athlete I’d find beauty in the landscapes around me. I opened my first gallery in 2006. And I called the images I put up in there Playgrounds. Read more>>

Sonja Bales | Producer and Filmmaker

One thing which has helped to keep me focused and motivated throughout this year specifically is something a Nickelodeon recruiter said “hunger, ambition, heart” are the thing we value. As I am defining my career as a young producer and filmmaker, that mantra continues to come to me at times which feel directionless or creatively uninspired. Tough not a total sum of who I would like to be, it does encapsulate three things that are very important and that I want to have as I continue my life and work. Without any one of these, it is hard to feel grounded and dually excited about the future, so I try to keep those tenants fresh in my mind. Read more>>

Bettina Pittaluga | Photographer

At every stage of my life, there has always been an affirmation that knew how to resonate with me. I would say that the one that follows me and that has always been verified is: life is short. For me there is no greater motivation every day than to say to yourself that you have to make the most of it. Read more>>

Joanne Chew | Actress & Abstract Artist

One of my track coaches in high school said, “If you give your best and lose, there will be frustration and disappointment, but there will be no shame.” It’s something I’ve carried with me ever since. I was pretty sickly when I was born, and spent much of my first couple of years of life in and out of the hospital. In the beginning, I could barely run a mile, so my family and friends thought I was absolutely insane when I signed up for track during my sophomore year. My first season, I was wrought with injuries and came in last every single race. My family and friends were encouraging me to quit, but none of my coaches ever brought it up. I eventually started getting stronger, but I had fallen in love with running long before that. I’ve since completed five full marathons. Every year (since 2011), I also run a 10K at “Race For The Rescues” in Pasadena to help raise money for animals in shelters. The endurance I built as a runner helped me immeasurably when I moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Read more>>

Alexander James | Poet – Father – Racial Reconciliation Advocate – Role Playing Generation Ceo.

Khalil Gibran – “ It is the responsibility of the poet to take the prisoner to the beach. Without him ever leaving his cell”. This quote consistently pushes my writing and drive for art and poetry. I must shape words in such a way that the listener is transported into the world I am creating through diction and passion. However, for me, I seek to transport my audience not just to the beach but most often simply to a mirror. To ask present truths in a way that allows them to choose how they will react to the information. How will you react if you were placed in a cage on the border as a child, or if you joined Abraham and his son on the mountain top. I want to place you in these places, not as a history lesson but for you to find what you do or who you would become if in that place. Read more>>

Kristoffer Kosloff | Creative Producer

Working as a producer, you are always faced with new challenges, as clients, projects and creative teams are different and all productions are different. This means, that as a producer, you constantly have to adjust and fine-tune the process. Early on I learned that you always have to improve to keep getting better at your skill. A favorite quote of mine, that I have used for almost 15 years is: “You are never better than your last production”. It simply means that you have to prove yourself and improve your production skills every time you are working on a shoot. You can never rest on your laurels! For me…this keeps me engaged and it keeps me on my toes! I always want to do better. Read more>>

Rebecca Haines | Artist

“You’re here for a reason. The Creator has given you a task. It is not for you to decide. If you are afraid or if you are too small, it is too late.” -Kent Nerburn quoting a Lakota elder (Dan) in “The Wolf at Twilight” The meaning I take from this quote is that I was gifted my particular path for a reason. I was born with the qualities, abilities, and inclinations to create the artwork I do because that is what my role is in the universe. I have felt it strongly all my life. And while I do question many things about life often and can find myself as bewildered and lost as the next person, this role I play in the grand design has always felt solid to me. My connection to wild creatures and the natural world fills me with awe and reverence….and magic! I feel tapped in to something ancient and wise…and I feel like I’m being asked by this source to create the work I do to help others access this part of themselves as well. Read more>>

Nikki Reed Staci Inspektor | Co-Founders

We are big believers in this piece of wisdom from Julia Child: “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” When you decide to make your passion your career, there are many moments of self-doubt, burn-out, repetition, second-guessing, etc. While some of this can be hard to avoid as a small-business owner and entrepreneur, we strive to always keep things interesting by thoughtfully pushing one another and challenging ourselves to learn more about our craft, rethinking the norm, never settling, and making time for brainstorming and open discussion. We always have our eyes open, looking for inspiration from our surroundings and daily life to infuse into our seasonal collections, photo shoots, and brand creative. Read more>>

Jai Khanna | Software Engineer | Photographer | Musician

There are so many quotes that I love and am inspired by every day, but I’d say my favorite one is: “To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place. I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them” by Elliott Erwitt. This single quote has touched so many parts of my life from how I maintain a work-life balance to how I see everything around me. In these uncertain times since the start of the pandemic, Elliott’s quote has especially been more applicable to a lot of our situations. A lot of us have had to work from home and stay indoors for the better part of last year. For photographers who shoot outdoors, this meant they needed to find inspiration inside their homes in a seemingly uninteresting environment or a place they haven’t really thought of ever shooting in. I ran into this myself and realized that I was looking at everything differently. I started finding so many opportunities to shoot everywhere inside my house and around it. Read more>>

Lauren Guiteras | Cinematographer

In 1996, Nick Cave responded to an award nomination with a statement I often think about when I examine my own relationship to art and accomplishment. The ethos of it is perhaps best summarized in this section: “My muse is not a horse and I am in no horse race and if indeed she was, still I would not harness her to this tumbrel — this bloody cart of severed heads and glittering prizes.” As a visual artist, I often grapple with the contradictory nature of my desires and beliefs. I believe that the most important thing in art, above all else, ought to be your own commitment to your own creative values. But I feel just how operative the phrase “ought to be” is when I find myself scrolling through Instagram, comparing my credentials to those of my peers, growing hungrier for laurel wreathes. In a world of algorithms and self-promotion, is easy to forget that the goalposts always move in the pursuit of acclaim. This quote embodies the ethos to which I aspire as an artist. Read more>>

Joseph Rendon | Actor & Director

I recently came across this one “Be less impressed and more involved” a quote, I read in a book called “Greenlights” an unconventional memoir written by Mattew McConaughey. It resonates with me because it makes me think of all the opportunities I have trashed for being too conscious about the fact that something good was actually happening to me and thinking if, in reality, I deserved such a thing. Being too impressed thinking how privilege I was for it I forgot about living in it. I now understand that we are in fact the ones who are creating our own life second by second, every little decision takes us to the place we are standing each second of our life, knowing this allows me to receive with gratitude all the things that come my way. If for example, a negative experience comes my way I accept it as a lesson I needed to experience to grow, and if it is positive such as this interview accept it as something I deserve for all the good decisions I have made that led to this moment. Read more>>

Stephen Schubert | Contemporary Abstract Artist Sculptor and Designer

Actually its a phrase, Kohan ni Shitagau, and in Japanese it means follow the request. Ian active happy is Japanese garden design and this phrase is what design masters have done at the beginning of creating a Japanese garden design. It struct me as a great approach to life as well since it requires we quiet our minds and open to what is before us. It requires intense listening and I create my art with this wonderful principle as well. Read more>>

Cisco Torres | Designer & Animator & Artist

“What gets in the way of the work IS the work” I’ve had this quote up in my apartment for a few years, it inspires me and makes me feel empowered. This quote could be interpreted a lot of ways but to me it means that whatever creative task or career goal is in front of you, there are always going to be things that get in the way. Whether they are daily distractions, logistical problems, conceptual/creative problems or something else… sorting through these things, tackling these issues, and getting to a place in your head where you can focus is just, if not more, important than the work itself. Read more>>

Earl Gibson III | Photographer, Events and News

One of my favorite quotes came from the God Father of Soul. It was actually the lyrics to one of his songs “I don’t want nobody to give me nothing, Open up the door and I get it myself. Those lyrics have been representive of how I’ve lived my life. In a world where we all find ourselves simply looking for access, I too have had to do more to prove myself as being the Best in what I do. Read more>>

Jane Li | Designer, Illustrator, & Maker

“Your 20’s are your ‘selfish’ years. It’s a decade to immerse yourself in every single thing possible. Be selfish with your time, and all the aspects of you. Tinker with shit, travel, explore, love a lot, love a little, and never touch the ground.” — Kyoko Escamilla I am currently in my twenties, so this quote resonates with me deeply. It reminds me that it’s ok to take time and space for myself, especially during these years of growth. It teaches me to stay curious, try new things, and take risks, but above all, to do whatever makes me happy. I love this quote so much that I hand lettered it to hang in my studio space. While the quote focuses on life in your twenties, I think it’s a good mantra to live by regardless of age. Read more>>