--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not so much where my motivation…" description: "\"It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive.\" — Louise Bourgeois" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/louise-bourgeois-8996_inspirational_it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-co_337433.png" --- # It is not so much where my motivation comes from but… ![“It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive.” quote by Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/louise-bourgeois-8996_inspirational_it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-co_337433.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/louise-bourgeois-8996_inspirational_it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-co_337433.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/louise-bourgeois-8996_inspirational_it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-co_337433.png) > “It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive.” [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Motivation’s source matters less than its ability to endure challenges. **In simple terms:** Survival of motivation matters more than its origin. Key Takeaway Cultivate persistence over seeking origins. Themes creativity psychology endurance Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - artistic projects - research endeavors - personal goals - long‑term ventures Key Concepts motivation theory self‑determination resilience Questions to Reflect On - What sustains your drive when inspiration fades? - How can you reinforce internal motivation? A Different Perspective Motivation can wane without external reinforcement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Manage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manage/) [Manages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manages/) [Manages Survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manages-survive-3143895/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Motivation Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation-comes-707413/) [Survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survive/) ## Related quotes > [He who manages the distance, manages the damage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rener-gracie/he-who-manages-the-distance-manages-the-damage/) [Rener Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rener-gracie/) > [He slips . . . but manages to regroup himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-maskell/he-slips-but-manages-to-regroup-himself/) [Dan Maskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-maskell/) > [Motivation comes from working on things we care about. It also comes from working with people we care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/motivation-comes-from-working-on-things-we-care-about-it-also-comes/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Although motivation comes and goes, you can always rely on your will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/although-motivation-comes-and-goes-you-can-always-rely-on-your-will/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [Motivation never comes with the desire to be better than everybody else. It comes with the desire to be better than who you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/collins-hasty/motivation-never-comes-with-the-desire-to-be-better-than-everybody/) [Collins Hasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collins-hasty/) > [My motivation comes from playing the game I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-messi/my-motivation-comes-from-playing-the-game-i-love/) [Lionel Messi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-messi/) > [“Motivation comes from within, inspiration comes from without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cook/motivation-comes-from-within-inspiration-comes-from-without/) [Mike Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cook/) > [I like to win my own way, and I like to lose my own way. I believe motivation comes from within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalen-ramsey/i-like-to-win-my-own-way-and-i-like-to-lose-my-own-way-i-believe/) [Jalen Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalen-ramsey/) > [Motivation comes from the heart. Ideas come from the brain. Achievement and success come from hard working hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/motivation-comes-from-the-heart-ideas-come-from-the-brain-achievement/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My motivation comes from a love of being creative. I'm in love with music and colour and laughter and dancing and all things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/my-motivation-comes-from-a-love-of-being-creative-i-m-in-love-with/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [My motivation comes from the plays I didn't make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-baldwin/my-motivation-comes-from-the-plays-i-didn-t-make/) [Doug Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-baldwin/) > [“Usually, in daily life, we are motivated to do something, then we do it. But when mood is low, we have to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-williams/usually-in-daily-life-we-are-motivated-to-do-something-then-we-do-it/) [Mark Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-williams/) > [Motivation comes from effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendon-burchard/motivation-comes-from-effort/) [Brendon Burchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendon-burchard/) > [True motivation comes from achievement, personal development, job satisfaction, and recognition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-herzberg/true-motivation-comes-from-achievement-personal-development-job/) [Frederick Herzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-herzberg/) > [The motivation comes from the embarrassment of having lost and the way it sits with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-morgan/the-motivation-comes-from-the-embarrassment-of-having-lost-and-the/) [Ben Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-morgan/) ## More by Louise Bourgeois > [Artists have to be useful. They have to fill a role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/artists-have-to-be-useful-they-have-to-fill-a-role/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [I am a searcher... I always was... and I still am... searching for the missing piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/i-am-a-searcher-i-always-was-and-i-still-am-searching-for-the-missing/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [My life has been regulated by insomnia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/my-life-has-been-regulated-by-insomnia/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [The colour blue - that is my colour - and the colour blue means you have left the drabness of day-to-day reality to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/the-colour-blue-that-is-my-colour-and-the-colour-blue-means-you-have/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [Artists are born not made. There's nothing you can do for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/artists-are-born-not-made-there-s-nothing-you-can-do-for-them/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [Everywhere in the modern world there is neglect, the need to be recognized, which is not satisfied. Art is a way of recognizing oneself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/everywhere-in-the-modern-world-there-is-neglect-the-need-to-be/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [Art is manipulation without intervention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/art-is-manipulation-without-intervention/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [Surrealism is anathema for me. Because the surrealists made a joke of everything. And I consider life a tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/surrealism-is-anathema-for-me-because-the-surrealists-made-a-joke-of/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [I am a lonely runner, but I am a long-distance runner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/i-am-a-lonely-runner-but-i-am-a-long-distance-runner/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [I work like a bee and feel that I accomplish little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/i-work-like-a-bee-and-feel-that-i-accomplish-little/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [“there are many realities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/there-are-many-realities/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [Horizontality is a desire to give up, to sleep. Verticality is an attempt to escape. Hanging and floating are states of ambivalence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/horizontality-is-a-desire-to-give-up-to-sleep-verticality-is-an/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [Clothing is . . . an exercise in memory. It makes me explore the past: how did I feel when I wore that. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/clothing-is-an-exercise-in-memory-it-makes-me-explore-the-past-how/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [What modern art means is that you have to keep finding new ways to express yourself, to express the problems, that there are no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/what-modern-art-means-is-that-you-have-to-keep-finding-new-ways-to/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [Everyone should have the right to marry. To make a commitment to love someone forever is a beautiful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/everyone-should-have-the-right-to-marry-to-make-a-commitment-to-love/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) [Explore all 76 Louise Bourgeois quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louise Bourgeois" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-comes-from-but-rather-how-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inspirational" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-comes-from-but-rather-how-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/louise-bourgeois-8996_inspirational_it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-co_337433.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/louise-bourgeois-8996_inspirational_it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-co_337433.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/louise-bourgeois-8996_inspirational_it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-co_337433.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive.” — Louise Bourgeois", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Louise Bourgeois", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is not so much where...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-comes-from-but-rather-how-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/it-is-not-so-much-where-my-motivation-comes-from-but-rather-how-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```