Inspirational People

[Aulayna]

Is there anyone in your life who inspires you? Or perhaps there's someone famous you draw inspiration from?

Tell us about them!

[Formalhaut]

I don't draw inspiration from famous people, I instead draw inspiration from everyday people who impress me or treat me kindly. Literally, anyone. People from EoFF, my friends, some inspiration paraplegic in the news, anyone.

To be honest, I don't get the whole celebrity role modelling shtick.

[Chris]

I agree with Formalhaut.

In order for me to be inspired by someone, I have to at least know them on some personal level. How can anyone truly be inspired by someone famous, when they have absolutely no clue whether or not if what they're selling is genuine?

[Pheesh]

The famous people I'm inspired by are drummers/musicians who have had to practice harder than you can even imagine to be good enough to become famous. They're all innovators and even if they don't know it they keep me striving to always be better musically.

[Jinx]

The "Unsinkable" Molly Brown was actually a pretty remarkable woman both before and after the Titanic. She was definitely ahead of her time.

Margaret Brown - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Brown)

[Raistlin]

My role models:

James Randi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Randi): brilliant man who was really the founder of the modern skeptics movement. Randi has spent his life entertaining people with magic shows while simultaneously working tirelessly to debunk superstition.

Penn Jilette (from the magicians Penn & Teller): this generation's Randi, except funnier and more vulgar.

Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking: two incredible scientists who have done amazing things to advance scientific research in the realm of physics and cosmology. They sought to explain how the world works and to put our world in perspective. Hawking's latest book, The Grand Design, is an amazing and mind-blowing read.

Radley Balko: An investigative journalist who has written tirelessly on criminal justice issues in the US, especially in the areas of police and prosecutorial misconduct and the drug war. His work has literally helped to save lives, and has been cited by the Supreme Court (albeit in a dissent). As a regular reader of his articles and blog for something like 7+ years, he is a big reason why I am today so passionate about criminal justice issues.

David Baugh: a public defender who heads up the capital defense division (which tries murder cases that are punishable by the death penalty), Baugh once spoke at my law school and told a story about an early time in his career. He had volunteered to defend a guy who was charged with, essentially, calling a police officer a "mothersmurfer" (probably dressed up as a disorderly conduct charge). After the police officer testified, the prosecutor rested his case, and Baugh immediately made a motion to dismiss the case due to the First Amendment, which the court granted. Afterwards, the officer accosted Baugh in the hallway and told him "you just told everyone in the courtroom that you can call a cop a 'mothersmurfer.'" Baugh responded, "This is America, mothersmurfer. You can." After hearing that story, I thought "I want to be him."

[Citizen Bleys]

Socrates.

If you need me to tell you who Socrates is, you're dead to me

[Beowulf]

My role models:

Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking: two incredible scientists who have done amazing things to advance scientific research in the realm of physics and cosmology. They sought to explain how the world works and to put our world in perspective. Hawking's latest book, The Grand Design, is an amazing and mind-blowing read.


This.

[Pheesh]

Socrates.

If you need me to tell you who Socrates is, you're dead to me

Was that one of the Gladiators from 'American Gladiators'?

[Mirage]

My younger brother cause he is so insanely much more hard working than I am.

[Shorty]

Jenny Lewis. Her personality, her attitude, her experiences and her views about life. Her words all completely inspire me and I feel like she's singing my feelings back at me when I listen to her.

Tina Fey. Women in smurfing power. That women changed tv as we know it, and she's changed women's roles in tv as we know it. She is incredible, and has worked so hard in her career and I really admire that. She just gets me.

Tia Maria Torres. The best animal (pit bull) advocate I can think of and I wish I could be doing the things that she does to help the animals in need that cross her path. There is a spot and sainthood reserved in heaven for that woman.

Nate Reuss. I discovered fun. when I was incredibly unhappy with my life. Listening to his words about his trials in Arizona and how it made him so miserable and how he had to separate himself to get "out from under the sun" due to the things he had surrounded himself in played a decent part in me leaving. I repeated Take Your Time in my head over and over and over so many times to keep me going until I could leave the state, driving me to do it. After I left, it wasn't perfect. Between Aim to Ignite and Some Nights, he continued to release songs mirroring situations in my own life as they were happening and was in general an inspiration (in addition to other things) for helping me to slowly crawl out of depression a couple of times these past few years. I don't know what it is about him, but he really inspires something in me.

My dad. He spent a long time living his life the way he thought he should according to other peoples' perceptions. He decided that he was fed up with it and ended that life as he knew it to continue on how he wanted and to find his own happiness. It split my parents up and tore my family apart and made a lot of people hate him and think lesser of him, but I really respect and admire him for being able to look at where he was in life and be honest with himself that he was no longer happy. It must have been so hard. He may have not done it in the most admirable fashion but I don't hold it against him - it was without a doubt the best thing to ever happen to my family. Aside from that, I really look up to him and respect his opinion on film and especially writing and his opinions on many other things. Wanted to be just like him growing up and I still think that I kindof do now.

My best friend, Elizabeth. She has dealt with so much hardship in her life yet manages to remain a positive rock and a shining ray of hope for the people around her. If I'd been through the things she's been through, I would be bitter, a recluse, and I would hate the world. She is a creepy loveable weirdo and definitely has her strangeness about her (and I love it) but she is so kind and caring and loving and will make sure to make room in her heart for every lost soul she comes across. Even between the distance of me being in California and her being in Utah, she continues to be the best friend I could ever hope for.

My little sister, Amanda. She's been inspiring me as long as I can remember.

My kinda-adopted sister, Kamrie. She's just so full of smurfing life. She's also been through some pretty terrible things, and pretty much lived with my family for many years. She has a similar story to Elizabeth - she is just so positive and uplifting and driven and I find it incredible given what she's gone through in life. She and I have been talking more and more lately and it's just like in our teenage years - I'm completely in awe by how she has handled the cards she's been dealt. One of the most incredible people I know.

I guess I draw inspiration from a bunch of people!

[Citizen Bleys]

Socrates.

If you need me to tell you who Socrates is, you're dead to me

Was that one of the Gladiators from 'American Gladiators'?

You think I won't kill you.

[Shiny]

Even if you don't personally know people, you can know facets of them through their artwork. I'm inspired by a handful of artistic people; mostly filmmakers or musicians. People who do volunteer work also inspire me to be philanthropic.

[Clo]

My role model is mold in a petri dish.

[Jinx]

My role model is Clo.

[Clo]

My role model is your butt.

[Pheesh]

Socrates.

If you need me to tell you who Socrates is, you're dead to me

Was that one of the Gladiators from 'American Gladiators'?

You think I won't kill you.

Socrates quote?

[Shoeberto]

My dad.
Carl Sagan.
Quentin Tarantino.
Thom Yorke.
John Carmack.
My girlfriend.

I think that mostly covers it.

[Night Fury]

I like to think anyone who's done anything pretty awesome is a role model to me. Like others have said Carl Sagan for his sciencey stuff, and I love Pale Blue Dot it's one of my favourite reads. I also really like Aristotle in terms of Philosophers - Socrates was a cool dude too :)

Celebs... I think P!nk and Jessica Alba are pretty awesome from what I've seen of them. Joss Whedon too :D :D :D

My biggest inspiration is my friend Jane; she died last year in June after fighting cancer for most of her teenage years. She always kept a smiling face, had time for everyone and always put other peoples problems above her own. She always said "It's not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." and so I kind of follow that in life because it's just a good way to look at things. I always try to have time for people because Jane showed me too and I always try to be nice to people from all walks of life because you know, one life and all that.

[Araciel]

Superman.

[Laddy]

Jeff Buckley. His work, mote than any other artist, has inspired and moved me.

Jeff Buckley- Lover, You Should've Come Over - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXe1jpHPnUs)

[Iceglow]

I don't take my inspiration from others I respect people but I like to think that when I hit the bottom and bounced back I did it by myself for the most part. Sure my friends were there for me and to a lesser extent my family too. Yet overall I had to pull my own ass outta the fire and build myself back up and whilst I drew meaning and quantifying words from lyrics and quotes around me it was ultimately just things which agreed with that what was originally inside my own head.

[Pike]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Because he was a ball of pure creativity who did not give one single shit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leck_mich_im_Arsch

[escobert]

I'm not particularly inspired at all by anything or anyone.