Who inspires you to be better?
Oh, what a good question! Do you mean as a person or as a writer?
As a person, I have some unfortunately close examples of what not to be, so I keep those in mind at all times (or as often as possible). But I also know some incredible people with amazing qualities that inspire me to be better: my boss is great at inspiring team work and collaboration, which I find sensational; a friend of mine is so good at NOT holding grudges at all?? He doesn’t take shit from pple, but he doesn’t take the poison either. My husband has a shit ton of qualities I wish I could have for myself. Even some students of mine – teenagers – have attitudes that have me going “wow, yes, I wanna be that kind of person!”.I think that, in the end, we’re all collages of other pple – traits we instinctively learn from close family and friends, traits we see and admire and try to emulate, and traits we see and try to avoid. I’m a mess of different brushstrokes XD
Specific shout out to @nicaforov, who’s just an amazing person all around, and every interaction with her makes me wanna be better at… everything, really. At existing.
And as a writer… there are tons of writers I look up to, the top 3 being Terry Pratchett, Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. They work as a sort of El Dorado for me, you know? XD But I have also found many excellent friends in fandom, whose works inspire me to keep pushing my writing further and further each time I sit in front of my computer to write. Off the top of my head, I can name @extranikiforov, @maydei, @lucycamui, @omgkatsudonplease, @victorsporosya, @kazliin, @iwritevictuuri, @spookyfoot, @sinkingorswimming, @exile-wrath, @cafecliche, @dreaming-fireflies… these are just some of the writers in the YOI fandom that inspire me to be better. Also @onepetal, who’s not in this fandom but it’s also amazing and an inspiration!
That is probably… a way longer list than you expected XD Sorry!