I just finished a manuscript, the 6th Spice Shop mystery, and while I often leap write — er, right — into the next project, this time I’m feeling the need to take a few days off, to read, cook, garden. Whatever calls to me. Artists often refer to this as “filling the well,” nurturing their creative energy, and that’s exactly what it feels like to me. August starts tomorrow — crazy, right? — and the last month of summer is perfect for a bit of a refresh. so for the next few weeks, the quotes will focus on fueling the creative spirit.

“When I walk into the white room [her dance studio] I am alone, but I am alone with my: body, ambition, ideas, passions, needs, memories, goals, prejudices, distractions, fears. These ten items are at the heart of who I am. Whatever I’m going to create will be a reflection of how these have shaped my life, and how I’ve learned to channel my experiences into them.”

— Twyla Tharp, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1941)

“It’s not selfish to pursue your dreams, and it’s never too late.”

— author Kalynn Bayron, quoted by writer and coach Dan Blank

“You may not remember every plot point after reading a story, but you will remember how you felt. That’s why it’s so important that writers stir a reader’s emotional well.”

– Jocelyn Chase, novelist, on The Write Practice