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.

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."

Establishing and keeping a routine can be even more important than having a lot of time.

Eat breakfast. Do some push-ups. Go for long walks. Get plenty of sleep.

Unless you are actually a ninja, a guru, or a rock star, don't ever use any of those terms in your bio. Ever.

You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life. You are the sum of your influences. The German writer Goethe said, "We are shaped and fashioned by what we love."

Not everybody will get it. People will misinterpret you and what you do. They might even call you names. So get comfortable with being misunderstood, disparaged, or ignored -- the trick is to be too busy doing your work to care.