I’m well-aware that placing text over stock photos is one of the most Basic modern artforms there is, but I enjoy it. I engage in it myself sometimes (as you may have seen in at least one of my previous posts), usually focusing on a movie quote or song lyric I particularly connected with.
This post is going to be five of those “Deep”/Inspirational Text Over Vaguely-Related Stock Photos that I made showcasing some of my favorite movie quotes. Feel free to grab ’em to share them on your own social media accounts (but I’d appreciate it if you credited/tagged me @LittleZotzWrite if you do, please ♥).
I’m also going to share what each of these quotes means to me… Feel free to tell me in the comments what they mean to you, if you like ’em too! 😀
Table of Contents
This Quote from Back to the Future (1985)
This quote shows up repeatedly throughout the Back to the Future movies. Personally, I like to think that Doc Brown originally quoted Benjamin Franklin’s “You can do anything you set your mind to” to Marty and then Marty (being Marty lol) remembered and repeated it just slightly “wrong.” And then this new quote became kind of an in-joke for them. That’s my “head canon” for the origins of this quote within the context of the Back to the Future universe.
Whatever the story is, I find this quote motivational and uplifting! Because it’s very TRUE! And I know some people find overtly positive thinking and “mind over matter” mindsets to be toxic… And that’s not an invalid point. However, I think most folks who have that particular beef don’t take TIME into account. We live in a very rush-rush society these days and so we tend to think EVERYTHING is in the “immediate.” And that’s simply not so.
You CAN accomplish anything you set your mind to! Truly. You can. I’ve accomplished everything I’ve ever set my mind to. But it was almost never on my personal timetable lol. Sometimes success is a slooooooooooooooooow slog of a journey!! But if you set your mind to whatever your goal is and KEEP your mind set on it… you’ll get there.
And that’s one of the reasons I prefer this fictional quote from Back to the Future (a movie ABOUT time travel in which TIME is always, ALWAYS at the forefront of everything) over Ben Franklin’s version. Plus, it reminds me of one of my favorite comfort movies that never ceases to make me smile.
This Quote from Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Have you ever watched Joe Versus the Volcano? I think it might be my 7th favorite movie ever, but most people, in my experience, haven’t watched it. If you’re one of those many people, I highly recommend you check it out. It’s difficult to describe – it’s a bit all over the place – but if you like me and the things I like, you’ll like it. Trust me.
Also, fun fact, my parents painted the hammerhead shark that Joe (Tom Hanks) catches whilst fishing:
Anyway! This quote is spoken so quickly and inconsequentially within the film that you may miss it entirely if you’re not keeping an ear out for it… but I think about it a LOT. This line from a movie too few have seen is both a mini therapy session and a sweet reminder to be gentle with your fellow humans, all in one!
It reminds me of something I was once told in therapy: “The boundaries you have are the boundaries you teach.” Which basically delves into how parents can unintentionally mess up their children (and is another reason why, despite how painful it was, I’m very relieved I’ll never ever be a parent myself). For example, if you’re a parent in an unbalanced partnership and you’re a complete doormat to your overbearing partner’s unreasonable demands, you’re either going to end up with a child who models themselves after your partner and becomes an equally self-absorbed brat or you’ll end up with a child who models themselves after you and becomes an unrelenting people-pleaser who thinks emotional abuse is just a normal part of life.
It’s a good reminder that SELF care isn’t just for YOU, it’s for those you love — especially those who look up to you. Like children.
And that brings me to the second half of what this quote reminds me of: We are ALL children. Even as so-called adults, we’re all just bumbling babies who have no idea what we’re really doing. Whenever I start to feel enraged by someone, I try to stop and think: How would I handle this situation if the other person were a literal child…?
Personally, I’ve never found myself being patronizing to children (which would be a loathsome response to a fellow adult, right? lol), but I am a LOT more gentle and patient. It isn’t a foolproof method to avoid or resolve all conflicts, but that simple pause can keep your mood – and the situation – from escalating!
This Quote from Night of the Comet (1984)
This one isn’t as “deep,” but I think about it a lot hahaha. My husband originated in Ohio and his small hometown didn’t really have to worry about traffic, let alone crosswalks! And although Los Angeles has made jaywalking mostly legal, I still encourage Frank to cross at the light (because I prefer him alive/uninjured/not smushed by cars).
We playfully reenact this conversation from 1984 zombie film Night of the Comet whenever a crosswalk light takes just a wee bit too long to change and Frank threatens to rebel and throw his pedestrian safety out the window!
Side Note: Actress Kelli Maroney, who played Samantha Belmont, is an absolute sweetheart and very active with fans on her social media accounts!
This Quote from Heart and Souls (1993)
I’ve mentioned several times over the years that Heart and Souls is one of my all-time favorite movies — and longtime LittleZotz.com fans may remember that I keep a Heart and Souls keychain hanging above my work area to remind me to keep trying.
Much like Harrison, the ghost this quote is spoken to, I suffer from near-crippling anxiety and CRUSHING SELF-DOUBT that I have to overcome on a daily basis. I do pretty well, all things considered, but it still gets the best of me sometimes. Life will get too hectic for me to handle, tasks will stack up, and I’ll freeze – trapped in a seemingly endless loop of “what if”s.
For example, you know how long I’ve been working on THIS very post…?
Yeah. I started this post way back in July of 2022. Almost a full year ago!! And life got in the way and then I got in the way… “No one’s going to care. This is a stupid idea. There’s no way this post will brighten anyone’s day. I’m dumb for even thinking this might be fun.” You know. Mean Brain thoughts.
But then, as always, I got to thinking about how I would feel if I didn’t finish this post. If I didn’t at least try getting this goofy idea out into the world. I thought about this very quote!! And I knew I didn’t want to die a failure. And it feels really good to get this post done!! And* I hope that it’s brightening YOUR day (especially since I’m going to write a sequel to this post soon hahaha).
*Also, I’m sorry for starting so many sentences with “And.” Writing rules have become utter chaos this decade and most people no longer care (including myself), but I know there’s probably at least one person reading this who does care and I see you, your emotions are valid, and I totally understand (believe me, I used to BE you at one point and, if I weren’t so perpetually exhausted, I probably still would be lol).
This Quote from Harvey (1950)
Not much to say about this one other than… ditto.
May we all choose to be more pleasant. ♥
–Lauren*
Here’s the video of me drawing the illustration at the top of this post:
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