Almost nothing beautiful or brilliant happens unless a person has thought about it a lot.

Creativity requires introspection, self-examination, and a willingness to take risks. Because of this, artists are perhaps more susceptible to self-doubt and despair than those who do not court the creative muses.

The artist's personality, built upon strong desires and compassionate vision, is by its nature prone to depression.

Almost nothing beautiful or brilliant happens unless a person has thought about it a lot.

To create you must quiet your mind. You need a quiet mind so that ideas will have a chance of connecting.

If we had the consciousness of a cat or a dog, we would have it in us to become perfect Zen masters. We could gnaw on a bone, take a nap, play with a spider until we killed it, get our litter just right, and be innocently and serenely present. Meaning would mean nothing to us, nor would we need it to mean anything. We would be free, and we would be spared. But, we are human beings, and we posses that odd duck – human consciousness.

Because she favours solitude and indwelling, an artist can live a significantly more claustrophobic life that she had ever intended.