We asked folks to tell us about their favorite quote or affirmation and to tell us what it means to them. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Patrick Dancy | Entrepreneur & Poet

The Mantra of our company LGND Footwear is, Leave Your Mark. This statement means a great deal to me personally. It’s speak to the uniqueness of every individual. We are all put here with purpose, a voice if you will and it is both our responsibility and honor to live our purpose with passion. We all have something to contribute… life is not about “getting” or “taking” a full life is of course receiving the fruits of your labor but also how you share your gifts, you give of yourself to the higher good of all. Leave your Mark speak directly to YOU. It’s not “his or hers” but YOUR mark.. what are you contributing, what have you left behind? You, Me, We. – Muhammad Ali. Read more>>

Marilyn Traeger | Creative Human Being and Doing

The older I get the more I believe in the truth behind “I don’t know what I don’t know”. Ironically, I didn’t know where it came from until now! Confucius said, “To know what you know and what you do not know, is true knowledge.” So much later in 2002, Donald Rumsfeld said “There are things we don’t know we don’t know.” in response to questions about terrorism intelligence. Rumsfeld’s statement brought public attention to the concepts of known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. National security and intelligence professionals have long used an analysis technique known as the Johari window. The idea of unknown unknowns was created in 1955 by two American psychologists, Joseph Luft (1916–2014) and Harrington Ingham (1916–1995) in their development of the Johari window. They used it as a technique to help people better understand their relationship with themselves as well as others. Read more>>

Laurel Jereda | Plant Dyer & Eco Fashion Creator

” Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” The sentiment in this quote is how grateful flower came to be and it’s a reminder of how I want to live my life everyday, connected to the earth and connected to nature. Living and breathing in a way that is ceremonial in honor of our mother, Earth Mother, who everyday gives us these beautiful and perfect gifts which we call nature; the trees, the grass, the flowers, the animals, the sky, etc. Before grateful flower was a brand it was just a name that was meant to symbolize my personal gratitude for all parts of life as well as seeing myself as a reflection of nature more specifically a flower, constantly growing, dying and being reborn again and again. Ive learned this process is much easier when we accept the ebb and flow of life and trust. Read more>>

Isabela Escobar | Demon-Slaying Illustrator Raised by Feral Possums

Do you want to want to be “an Artist” or do you want to “Make Art”? I can’t attribute this quote to any one person in particular, its mostly a self-formulated idea that brewed itself during conversations with fellow artists. But there seems to be a fundamental difference between wanting to create for the sake of creating, and wanting others to identify you as a person who creates. In my perspective, it speaks about the motivation behind creativity and makes an important point– what is it then, that moves your insides towards creating? Is there a desire for recognition within the other, a search for a mirror that validates our identity? Or do you simply have all this within your being that needs to be expressed? One is not necessarily better than the other, but identifying this drive can give us fundamental insight about our priorities. Other’s perception of your identity has little influence over who you really are as a being. Only you know your true intentions Personally. Read more>>

Oscar Jordan | Artist/Photographer

“The highest human act is to inspire” – Nipssey Hussle In every realm of life we’re always looking for the extra push. We’re always trying to get over the hump and inspiration empowers us to keep moving forward. As an artist that’s the biggest key for me. Yes, money is a factor but I see money as a vehicle to keep the machine going. But when someone sees my work or has a conversation with me I want to inspire every time. If I’ve inspired one person, Then I got the job done. Read more>>

Yaya Designs | Local Artist

Life was getting harder to dream, but I kept these words as a constant reminder. “Their hair is the canvas to my art” Learning how to draw was a doting task, because well— I can’t draw. But when it came to designing styles with locs, that’s when the artist was born. Styling locs was a hidden talent that creeped up on me. I was tired of people saying having locs are boring; or locs are limited styling options. They felt like their hair was undesired— they wouldn’t get  compliments on their styles. It was then it clicked! I wanted to be the answer to the problem. Everybody looked the same, so I said let’s look different! Being different was something I knew too well in life, The more I was different the more people gravitated towards me. I was always getting, where  you from?what’s your name ? how long are your locs? Can I touch it ? In the mist of studying the art of locs styling I learned what different face shapes go with with different shape faces. Read more>>