Introduction
Do you often find yourself crying at the end of a Disney movie for no apparent reason? Is it hard for you to tell from one moment to the next whether you’re happy, sad, or hungry? Do you constantly feel as though everyone else is accomplishing a million things and you’re just trying to get through the day without having a nervous breakdown? Well, *ding, ding, ding* I do, too.
Welcome to I Feel That.
To me, quotes have always been a magical, universal language that has the abil-ity to say, in just a few words, “I’ve been there, too.” They are a quick, powerful way of conveying the variety of feelings and emotions we all experience while reminding us we’re not the only ones. There’s no better feeling than reading a quote that de-scribes exactly what you’re going through and realizing that someone else has been there before and gotten through it.
Now, if there’s one thing that can ruin a great quote, it’s some black- and- white Times New Roman text, with or without a large animal pictured in the background, and sadly, so many of my favorite quotes have suffered this fate. That’s why in 2018, I put my (very beginner) graphic designer cap on and created the thing I wanted to see in the world with an Instagram page called Quotes by Christie. Three “How to Use Adobe Illustrator” YouTube videos and an extensive Pinterest board later, I set out on a mission to create an account dedicated to quotes, phrases, and words designed in bold, beautiful colors and fonts that amplified, not diluted, the message being shared.
I would have never predicted the journey that ensued, but that little idea has indeed changed my life. What began as a fun way to improve my graphic design skills and share inspiring messages with my family and friends has turned into a commu-nity of diverse people, united in our shared goal of just getting through this thing called life . . . one quote at a time. Now that I know I’m not the only one whose entire life could be changed by a good quote, I’ve put together a specially curated collec-tion of my all- time favorite quotes to help you with all of your feels, in a format that can’t be hacked or double- tapped.
I think it’s safe to say that no one has discovered the secret to a life devoid of emotion. (If you have, please contact me ASAP.) So rather than trying to fight every feeling, I invite you instead to lean into them. Let yourself feel it all—t he good, the bad, and the ugly.
The following quotes come from all different kinds of people, from all walks of life. Some are well- known, some are lesser- known, others are unknown, and a few are from yours truly. As you open this book after a heartbreak, when you’re dealing with a disappointment, or when you just can’t seem to get out of bed, I hope you find comfort and peace in knowing that every author— and every human being— could confidently look you in the eyes and say, “I feel that.” And if they’ve gotten through it, who’s to say you can’t, too?
Copyright © 2022 by Christina Scotch. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
