I am often inspired by other writers, actually, more often than not. I am an avid reader, and inspired by authors, from all walks of life, all cultures, all genres. I am also very inspired by the classics. Writers like Whitman (one of my favorites), Twain, and Shakespeare (Yes, I read Shakespeare for entertainment) truly inspire me and my love for words.
I was recently given the book "Why I write" by George Orwell, and if you haven't read it, you should. I think that all writers should read this book. I believe that all writers should also be readers. We should not be limited by our own current writings, we should always expand and challenge our self, inspire ourselves.
Shakespeare once wrote "This above all to thine ownself be true." Words to live by. My personal thoughts or motto is "Aspire to Inspire" because someone once (or often) inspires me. Orwell was inspired by Milton's Paradise Lost, "So hee with difficulty and labour hard Moved on: with difficulty and labour hee."
Orwell inspires me with his words, "Pleasure in the impact of one sound on another, in the firmness of good prose or the rhythm of a good story."
I write to take the stories that are in my head, make sense. I write to give the thoughts a voice of their own. I write to share my stories. I write because it's what I do. It's who I am. My love for words and how they can paint a picture, brings a light in my soul. I write because I write.