--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really just want to be an inspiration…" description: "\"I really just want to be an inspiration. I'm a regular guy, that had a dream, that came from a small town, that wanted to play guitar and just liked pl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/kerry-james-marshall-5157_dream_i-really-just-want-to-be-an-inspiration_2380804.jpg" --- # I really just want to be an inspiration. I'm a regular… ![“I really just want to be an inspiration. I'm a regular guy, that had a dream, that came from a small town, that wanted to play guitar and just liked playing. I want to encourage people.” quote by Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/kerry-james-marshall-5157_dream_i-really-just-want-to-be-an-inspiration_2380804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/kerry-james-marshall-5157_dream_i-really-just-want-to-be-an-inspiration_2380804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/kerry-james-marshall-5157_dream_i-really-just-want-to-be-an-inspiration_2380804.jpg) > “I really just want to be an inspiration. I'm a regular guy, that had a dream, that came from a small town, that wanted to play guitar and just liked playing. I want to encourage people.” [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker as a desire to motivate others by sharing his humble beginnings and passion for music. **In simple terms:** He wants to inspire others through his own simple story. Key Takeaway Share your journey to inspire. Themes inspiration humility creativity Mood hopeful determined Type personal motivational When to use this quote - community events - music lessons - social media posts Key Concepts personal narrative role model Questions to Reflect On - How can personal stories spark broader change? - What platforms best amplify humble voices? A Different Perspective Inspiration alone may not overcome systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Small town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-town/) ## Related quotes > [I want to encourage other people to try to discover who they are, not to try to fit into some superficial prototype of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-norman/i-want-to-encourage-other-people-to-try-to-discover-who-they-are-not/) [Larry Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-norman/) > [We want to encourage people. You are not just another kid in the youth group or the lady on the third row. God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hall/we-want-to-encourage-people-you-are-not-just-another-kid-in-the-youth/) [Mark Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hall/) > [I want to encourage people to be themselves and express themselves however they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/i-want-to-encourage-people-to-be-themselves-and-express-themselves/) [Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/) > [I want to encourage people to not think in terms of gifts, but think in terms of, wow. You work hard to succeed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-want-to-encourage-people-to-not-think-in-terms-of-gifts-but-think/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I want to encourage people to make healthy life choices, whether it's training for a half-marathon, or eating more vegetables.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kina-grannis/i-want-to-encourage-people-to-make-healthy-life-choices-whether-it-s/) [Kina Grannis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kina-grannis/) > [I want to encourage people to be nicer to each other, to be nicer to themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-namajunas/i-want-to-encourage-people-to-be-nicer-to-each-other-to-be-nicer-to/) [Rose Namajunas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-namajunas/) > [I don't take myself too seriously, or I at least try not to, and I want to encourage other people to live that way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-alaina/i-don-t-take-myself-too-seriously-or-i-at-least-try-not-to-and-i-want/) [Lauren Alaina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-alaina/) > [He could play the guitar just like ringing a bell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/he-could-play-the-guitar-just-like-ringing-a-bell/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) > [Do what you love. Do what is important to you and your family. I just want to encourage people to just go for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-gaines/do-what-you-love-do-what-is-important-to-you-and-your-family-i-just/) [Chip Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-gaines/) > [Honestly, if I was to learn how to play the guitar it would be an acoustic guitar. That's just the way I am. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/de-aaron-fox/honestly-if-i-was-to-learn-how-to-play-the-guitar-it-would-be-an/) [De'Aaron Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/de-aaron-fox/) > [We want to encourage people to talk to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-middleton/we-want-to-encourage-people-to-talk-to-one-another/) [Kate Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-middleton/) > [“Dare to Imagine. Dare to Dream. Whatever you want to do, wherever you want to go, never give up. Your inspiration may well be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joffre-white/dare-to-imagine-dare-to-dream-whatever-you-want-to-do-wherever-you/) Joffre White > [I just want to be an inspiration. I'm a rock star, I'm Future Hendrix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nayvadius-cash/i-just-want-to-be-an-inspiration-i-m-a-rock-star-i-m-future-hendrix/) [Nayvadius Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nayvadius-cash/) > [In the end, I want to be an inspiration to somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikaela-shiffrin/in-the-end-i-want-to-be-an-inspiration-to-somebody/) [Mikaela Shiffrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikaela-shiffrin/) > [I want to be an inspiration to lots and lots of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonso-davies/i-want-to-be-an-inspiration-to-lots-and-lots-of-children/) [Alphonso Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonso-davies/) ## More by Kerry James Marshall > [There's nothing more special than intellect and labour that makes painting work. There's no magic there; it's information, and it's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intellect-and-labour-that-makes/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [When art works travel from place to place, what you have is the opportunity to engage with the intellect of another person who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-art-works-travel-from-place-to-place-what-you-have-is-the/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [I try to make work about things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-try-to-make-work-about-things-that-matter/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [I stumbled upon Charles White purely by chance while looking through a book 'Great Negroes, Past and Present' in the library at Forty-Ninth Street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-stumbled-upon-charles-white-purely-by-chance-while-looking-through/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [The lighter the skin, the more acceptable you are. The darker the skin, the more marginalised you become. I want to demonstrate that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/the-lighter-the-skin-the-more-acceptable-you-are-the-darker-the-skin/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [Artwork operates on two different levels: On one level there's artwork as a mode of expressivity, and then there's the other side, where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/artwork-operates-on-two-different-levels-on-one-level-there-s-artwork/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [One of the things I recognized early on, doing whatever studies of black history I have, is that even though black folks were transported…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/one-of-the-things-i-recognized-early-on-doing-whatever-studies-of/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [If you walk into any magazine store, I guarantee that nine out of 10 covers will feature white, blonde, blue-eyed, slim women because that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/if-you-walk-into-any-magazine-store-i-guarantee-that-nine-out-of-10/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [For black people who are really dark - and a lot of black people were averse to be dark skinned - it was believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/for-black-people-who-are-really-dark-and-a-lot-of-black-people-were/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [Before people outside of the Western European tradition started asking to be in there, the people who were accumulating objects for the museum were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/before-people-outside-of-the-western-european-tradition-started/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [What I hope 'Mastry' ends up doing is completely undermining or doing away with the notion that artists are a savant: that they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/what-i-hope-mastry-ends-up-doing-is-completely-undermining-or-doing/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [My dream was always to be in museums. It's a big and important milestone and a fulfillment of one of my primary ambitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/my-dream-was-always-to-be-in-museums-it-s-a-big-and-important/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [ In \[Ralph\] Ellison's case, it's more psychological than it is phenomenal, and it's conditioned by anger, animosity, and lack of desire to engage with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/in-ralph-ellison-s-case-it-s-more-psychological-than-it-is-phenomenal/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [When I started, I was aware of using the black as a rhetorical device. It's understanding that black people come in a wide range…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-i-started-i-was-aware-of-using-the-black-as-a-rhetorical-device/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [No one has a right to occupy the privileged position all the time, so it should be contested. It should always be messy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/no-one-has-a-right-to-occupy-the-privileged-position-all-the-time-so/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) [Explore all 103 Kerry James Marshall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I really just want to be an inspiration. I'm a regular guy, that had a dream, that came from a small town, that wanted to play guitar and just liked playing. 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