You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life.

Amateurs know that contributing something is better than contributing nothing.

Keep all your passions in your life.

There's a balance between what you want to give the world and what it needs. If you're lucky, your work is in the middle.

Art that only comes from the head isn't any good. Watch any good musician and you'll see what I mean.

Collect books, even if you don't plan on reading them right away. Filmmaker John Waters has said, "Nothing is more important than an unread library."

The best way to get started on the path of sharing your work is to think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others.