The only good teachers for you are those friends who love you, who think you are interesting, or very important, or wonderfully funny; whose attitude is: "Tell me more. Tell me all you can. I want to understand more about everything you feel and know and all the changes inside and out of you. Let more come out." And if you have no such friend,--and you want to write,--well, then you must imagine one.

Creative power flourishes only when I am living in the present.

And the true listener is much more beloved, magnetic than the talker, and he is more effective and learns more and does more good

This is what I learned: that everybody is talented, original and has something important to say.

People who try to boss themselves always want (however kindly) to boss other people. They always think they know best and are so stern and resolute about it they are not very open to new and better ideas.

There is that American pastime known as "kidding" - with the result that everyone is ashamed and hangdog about showing the slightest enthusiasm or passion or sincere feeling about anything.

The imagination needs moodling,--long, inefficient happy idling, dawdling and puttering.