Top 100 Inspired Me Quotes

#1. Somebody came up to me after a talk I had given, and say, "You make mathematics seem like fun." I was inspired to reply, "If it isn't fun, why do it?"

Ralph P. Boas Jr.

#2. I really hated school and so I just wanted to stay home and watch 'I Love Lucy' and watch the movies that inspired me to the point where we are sitting here.

Justin Long

#3. Nothing pleases me more than when somebody who was awe-inspired to be working with me realizes I'm just another schmuck that they're bored of hanging out with on a set. I love that moment. I like it when that persistent illusion is smashed.

Robert Downey Jr.

#4. As an author, I want to write what I'm inspired to write. Not what my readers want me to write. I feel like the books will ultimately be better if my heart is fully into what I'm writing.

Colleen Hoover

#5. For me, the best part is people who watch the movie and tell me it inspired them to collaborate with their friend who's a photographer or filmmaker.

Feist

#6. Women call me all the time and tell me, 'You inspired me to get out of a bad situation,' or 'You inspired me to take the reigns for myself and go and do this.' I try to tell people to live their best life, and do what you know you need to do for yourself and your family. You need to be supported.

Kimora Lee Simmons

#7. The fact that we have in our head coach, Lone Star Dietz, an Indian, together with several Indian players, has not, as may be suspected, inspired me to select the name Redskins.

George Preston Marshall

#8. So I developed very early a massive inferiority complex, and I've told the story often about how that inspired me later in life to get involved in other things, because I couldn't out-do my brothers in sports, and it's a very competitive relationship.

George J. Mitchell

#9. I always wanted to be a writer, but Alan Moore's work and help inspired me to write comics. In some ways the biggest influence on me writing was Punk. There was the idea that you could do something by simply doing it.

Neil Gaiman

#10. [A]ll these years, I had been telling myself that my feelings for you were a juvenile infatuation; a dream inspired by my secret hope that somewhere there could be a creature who could love me.

Kellyn Roth

#11. My father is a jazz musician, so I grew up hearing jazz. My parents loved it, but I didn't like it. It went on for too long. Yes, I had certain teachers that really inspired me, like Danny Barker, and John Longo. And I had no idea that I would have any impact on jazz.

Wynton Marsalis

#12. Gospel music was the thing that inspired me as a child growing up on a cotton farm, where work was drudgery and it was so hard that when I was in the field I sang all the time. Usually gospel songs because they lifted me up above that black dirt.

Johnny Cash

#13. For me, Picasso was the ultimate man. He taught me that photography is all about how you approach an image: what you do and what you don't do. He inspired me to go beyond what you think is in front of you.

Rene Burri

#14. The more transparent you are about, you know, the not so happy times, or the happy times, or the things that you're embarrassed or ashamed of or proud of, it's all in Kicker, and all in my music. I'm just inspired by life in general and what it's bringing to me.

Zella Day

#15. A love of books has opened so many doors for me. Stories have inspired me and taught me to aspire.

Malorie Blackman

#16. Tibetan Buddhism, has inspired me and accelerated my understanding of life.

Jet Li

#17. I take a lot of inspiration from the people I work with, and having many collaborators keeps me challenged and inspired.

Nick Blaemire

#18. It was a gift. You were a gift. A gift that made my life worthwhile. A gift that made life fun. A gift that filled me with music. A gift that filled me with love. A gift that inspired me to live on the bright side.

Kim Holden

#19. I cannot look at you with anything other than abhorrence, much less affection! I couldn't bare your presence when we were children and, I'm afraid to say, the repulsive way at which you have grown to be has made it even worse! You have taken everything from me...

Madeline Courtney

#20. I have a piano and a guitar, and I tend to switch back and forth between those two instruments to help me get inspired.

Sean Lennon

#21. Congolese rumba was so huge in Africa that everybody was inspired by it. But my African roots brought me this music. In every African family, parties in Brussels, we used to listen to this kind of music. And salsa music as well.

Stromae

#22. This man, although he appeared so humble and embarrassed in his air and manners, and passed so unheeded, had inspired me with such a feeling of horror by the unearthly paleness of his countenance, from which I could not avert my eyes, that I was unable longer to endure it.

Adelbert Von Chamisso

#23. Most of my story ideas come from my childhood. Sometimes they hatch from stories my parents told me, sometimes they come from experiences in my own life, and sometimes they are inspired by mere moments.

Kimberly Willis Holt

#24. When I was 16 years old, I joined a drama group called North Queensland Academy of Dramatic Art under a woman called Maggie Shephard-King. She inspired me to audition for the role of Romeo in 'Romeo and Juliet.'

Brenton Thwaites

#25. I'm inspired by the poets, so I'm always going to give in that direction, rather than in any other. It's the making of me ... and also the downfall of me.

Roy Harper

#26. I've learned by watching films that inspired me and people who inspired me like Robert Redford and Paul Newman. I love old school acting. I love subtlety, and I also love being spontaneous, and that's really what works for me.

Alex Pettyfer

#27. But KISS inspired me personally to pick up a guitar and go for it.

Mike McCready

#28. Definitely people like Kanye, inspired me to work hard. He's somebody who I've seen put that grind in over the years.

Big Sean

#29. When I was a kid, Jacques Cousteau was my hero and the person who inspired me to become an underwater explorer. I have many other people who inspired me after him, but he is still my all-time hero.

Enric Sala

#30. Maybe it was the challenge of flight, the opportunity to fly, the competition of summer camp and the inspiration and discipline of West Point. I think all of those things helped me to develop a dedication and inspired me to get ahead.

Buzz Aldrin

#31. I have the biggest sweet tooth, and just recently a doughnut shop in Portland called Pip's Original introduced a doughnut inspired by me called the 'Dirty Wu.' It is a cinnamon-sugar doughnut with sea salt, drizzled with honey and Nutella.

Reggie Lee

#32. It was patriotism, not communism, that inspired me.

Ho Chi Minh

#33. To have the chance to see your music be elevated and to have almost universally positive response to that music, makes me feel better every day. I feel more confident and inspired, and that's fun.

John Legend

#34. Going to rehearsals of school plays got me out of science. It became clear what inspired me and what dampened my spirit. The only other thing I could do at school was trampolining - it didn't seem to have much future in it.

Tamsin Greig

#35. People who imagine and implement solutions to challenges in their own lives, in their communities, in our country and in our world have always inspired me.

Chelsea Clinton

#36. The importance of heart health became very real for me when my father died of heart disease seven years ago. Having experienced the loss first hand, I am inspired to do everything I can to break the cycle and prevent families from losing loved ones to this preventable disease.

Monica Potter

#37. People feeling pity for me is as offensive as them feeling inspired by me.

Christy Leigh Stewart

#38. Once again Matthew was taken unaware by the extent of the feelings she inspired in him, his own limitless desire to fill her with happiness. "Whatever you need," he whispered, "Whatever you want, I'll get it for you. Just tell me.

Lisa Kleypas

#39. I've always been inspired by small details that make me wander. My mother would ask me, 'What are you looking at so intensely?' I would answer, 'Everything and nothing.' She really supported my wanderings, called me Marco Polo.

Mark Bradford

#40. I have repeatedly said, when asked, that if the stories about me helped inspired our troops and rally a nation, then perhaps there was some good.

Jessica Lynch

#41. My website inspired me to create my book club and provides me with a creative outlet where I can write about things that interest me. It's a platform where I can present ideas or new ventures and get feedback straight from the people who mean the most to me.

Lauren Conrad

#42. No one inspired me to write, but writer Harlan Ellison terrified me into getting published.

Dan Simmons

#43. Having spent almost two decades setting up and running Fortis, our mission of saving and enriching lives is an integral part of my being. Over time, this has inspired me to do more direct service and give back to society a little of what I have received in abundance.

Shivinder Mohan Singh

#44. My parents taught me that I could do anything I wanted and I have always believed it to be true. Add a clear idea of what inspires you, dedicate your energies to its pursuit and there is no knowing what you can achieve, particularly if others are inspired by your dream and offer their help.

Pete Goss

#45. I get tips from Bob Gaudio. And one of my songs somehow caught the attention of one of my idols, Marty Panzer, who wrote big hits for Barry Manilow. So two guys who inspired me to write lyrics are now teaching me to write.

Erich Bergen

#46. When I was ten, I spent a school holiday watching a lot of films: 'Dead Poets Society', 'Stand By Me', 'Home Alone' and 'The Goonies'. It completely inspired me. I told my parents I wanted to become an actor after that.

Russell Tovey

#47. I always wanted to live in L.A. The other thing that always inspired me was movies; that's why I'm here. I always wanted to be a part of the movie business and make movies. That's why I went to AFI grad school for filmmaking.

Jeff Vespa

#48. When I began writing, the words that inspired me were these: A writer is someone who has written today. If you want to be a writer, whats stopping you?

J. A. Jance

#49. I basically taught myself how to sing and play by copying records, and that's just how it was for me. I know that's true for a lot of budding musicians out there - that's the thing that gets them inspired, is trying to learn their favorite songs. I think it's a great way to teach yourself.

Susanna Hoffs

#50. I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go.

Dean Karnazes

#51. I have people who come up to me and say, 'Oh, seeing your work in my little home town in the middle of nowhere on the internet inspired me to move to London, or New York and pursue a creative career.' It makes me quite emotional.

Kesh

#52. I'm homemade. I upload my videos in my living room; I edit everything, and I upload on my laptop. And my viewers love that about me, and they get inspired and do it themselves.

Michelle Phan

#53. I'm very inspired by nature - you could say Mother Nature. I look at things around me and get all kinds of inspiration daily.

Martha Stewart

#54. I tried to bring in the live orchestra like Bjork does. I love the feeling that that music gives me when I just listen to it. I mean it would be awesome to do an entire record like that. But unfortunately that's not my style. So rather than do a record like that I just got inspired by it.

Willa Ford

#55. Kids come up to me all the time and say, 'Once I was going through a really bad time, and I saw you crash and get up, and it inspired me.'

Evel Knievel

#56. My sound comes from my inspiration, which is people like Aretha and Jay Z and Kanye, as well as everyone from the Whitneys and Mariahs to Destiny's Child and Usher. They all inspired me growing up.

Jess Glynne

#57. Having my brain doing different work is helping me a lot in terms of retro-feeding from the other experiences. It makes me feel inspired, looking forward to the projects and wanting to work harder.

Kelly Sue DeConnick

#58. Creativity healed me. I don't know that I could think of any word that I get more inspired by than the word healing.

SARK

#59. I love movies. And I dig a great love story: the kind that wrecks me, then builds me back up and leaves me inspired. I write what I want to see.

Gina Prince-Bythewood

#60. With different scenarios and different places, I think it's easier for me to get inspired; I'm seeing different things.

Alessia Cara

#61. There are just hundreds of people that have inspired and influenced me in a number of different ways. First of all, you can't forget your parents and all they've done to help you to get here.

Michael P. Anderson

#62. I remember when I met Picabo Street, you know, how in awe I was of her and how much she inspired me, and I really hope to be that for young kids.

Lindsey Vonn

#63. I'm always inspired when there's a robustness to the material in front of me.

Pat Metheny

#64. I chose to take the oath of office with my personal copy of the Bhagavad Gita because its teachings have inspired me to be a servant-leader, dedicating my life in the service of others and to my country.

Tulsi Gabbard

#65. The records that I grew up listening to had feel, and the drummers that inspired me - like Stewart Copeland, Neil Peart, Phil Collins and Roger Taylor - all had their own voice and individual style.

Taylor Hawkins

#66. The man who inspired me most, I think, was Dr. Alfred Blalock, who was professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins. He was a rather simple man with a burning curiosity. It was through his curiosity that he made many real contributions to medical science.

Denton Cooley

#67. I never force myself to be devout except when I feel so inspired, and never compose hymns of prayers unless I feel within me real and true devotion.

Franz Schubert

#68. I cannot think of anything more difficult than to say something which would be worthy of this impressive and, for me, memorable occasion, and of the ideals and purposes which inspired the Nobel Peace Award.

Lester B. Pearson

#69. I sit and I write automatically. I don't really try to write. My subconscious mind takes over and writes the songs for me. Songs come very easily for me. When I'm inspired, it takes me 20 minutes to write a song.

Brian Wilson

#70. I can't say any artist inspired me, because I'm inspired by the things that go on around me.

Kevin Gates

#71. I loved stories as a kid, both being read to me and enjoying on my own. All these stories inspired my imagination, and that's what I have always aimed at doing for my readers: ignite their imaginations.

Tony DiTerlizzi

#72. The Beatles meant everything to me growing up, and John was part of that. I loved Lennon's persona. He knew who he was, and he knew what he represented to a worldwide public ... I think he incited and inspired a whole group of youth to speak out and say what they felt.

John Travolta

#73. Scotland is my country, the nation that shaped me, that taught me my values. A nation whose achievements inspired and inspire me, a community whose failings drive me - drive my overwhelming desire to fight for social justice and equality.

Johann Lamont

#74. I inspired a new generation in the same way the previous generation inspired me. I believe that our democracy itself is very inspiring.

Donna Brazile

#75. I like when they say a movie is inspired by a true story. That's kind of silly. "Hey, Mitch, did you hear that story about that lady who drove her car into the lake with her kids and they all drowned?" "Yeah, I did, and you know what - that inspires me to write a movie about a gorilla!"

Mitch Hedberg

#76. When he wasn't making quirky jokes about his mother like this - it happened more than once - he mainly spoke at me, about his job and about his band, Jettisoned Airplane, an electronic music duo, which had been formed in March, inspired by the plane that had gone missing and not yet been found.

Olivia Sudjic

#77. Green Eggs and Ham was the story of my life. I wouldn't eat a thing when I was a kid, but Dr. Seuss inspired me to try cauliflower!

Jim Carrey

#78. I can't really say that film music inspired me; it is more the films themselves, in connection with the music.

Volker Bertelmann

#79. I've had teachers that inspired me, yes. I think teachers play a really important role in people's lives. I had one teacher in particular who helped me through high school and really instilled a confidence in me by just holding me up to a standard I wasn't holding myself up to.

Shaun Sipos

#80. I thought, well of course, Kinsey absolutely adored teaching. He was a wonderful teacher. So these kids really inspired me. So that was a clue I hung onto. He loved young people, he absolutely loved them. And he loved teaching them and trying to help them.

Liam Neeson

#81. I am inspired by human sexuality. The act itself is mechanical and holds little interest to me.

Jerzy Kosinski

#82. 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Alice in Wonderland' inspired me. I wanted to take those themes and try to bring it into a more 21st story with aliens.

Tony DiTerlizzi

#83. Anything that propels me to create, like [my book, Straight Walk]. It kept me inspired for almost four years.

Patricia Velasquez

#84. If someone realises the piece they are wearing is inspired by me then it only broadens my audience.

Alexander Wang

#85. There's one guy who inspired a nation of golfers, and that's Greg Norman. He's been incredible to me and all the great golfers.

Adam Derek Scott

#86. Can you blame me, my dear, for looking on this attachment as a romantic folly inspired by that cursed Shakespeare who will poke his nose where he is not wanted?

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

#87. Freddie Mercury inspired me when I was young.

Brittany Howard

#88. You know if I see a work that really I am very affected by and inspired by then it makes me want to try things with my work that maybe I hadn't considered trying before and I think that is the biggest complement that you can pay somebody.

PJ Harvey

#89. My parents owned a soul food diner. It inspired me to go to culinary school.

Flavor Flav

#90. That's always been a dream for me, to be able to collaborate and make music with the people that inspired you to make music.

Jerry Cantrell

#91. I've always been inspired by female performers and artists who really surround who they are around their voice. For me, it's always been about the voice. I wanna hear someone just sit by a piano, on a stool, and just sing - and that's it!

Lea Michele

#92. My sister, she's amazing. She sort of inspired me to take this journey to Latin America.

Jenna Bush

#93. I think the biggest influence for me is when I hear a great piece of music, whatever the style, I'm kind of inspired by that greatness and I'm inspired to try and obtain something that comes close to that greatness.

Paul Weller

#94. When watching movies, I was always inspired by the performances of the cast. Of course, the story and the direction and all that intrigued me. But what actors would propel themselves to do, and be, was awesome. It was like, how could these people give so much?

Rinko Kikuchi

#95. It's been constant grinding and trying to secure work that I care about, tireless auditions and meetings. I've been fortunate that a lot of cool doors have opened to me, chiefly meeting great people who were inspired by what I've done and what they feel I could bring to their projects.

Keith Stanfield

#96. My parents were inspired by Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas when naming me. They specifically saved this masculine name for their only girl.

Dylan Lauren

#97. There's always the influence of music, film, art and the other things that drive me. I'm usually inspired by my environment and whatever is making me happy or mad.

Adam Jones

#98. I like to play any character that allows me the freedom to explore it and teach the audience something they didn't know, and show them a journey they identify with ... or be inspired, or moved. Anything that touches someone's heart is important for me.

Alicia Witt

#99. My whole thing was, as much as I was inspired by what my parents do, and growing up on film sets, watching that made me really want to do that. I am my own person, and I think that the only thing with the Hemingway name is that it has gotten me in the door.

Dree Hemingway

#100. I've always been influenced by the human form. I'm a big fan of that Shakespeare quote. I tend to leave out the bad part of the paragon of animals quote, because I have this sort of Ayn Rand aesthetic. It was always one of those quotes that inspired me.

Zack Snyder

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