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.

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.

An artist feels vulnerable to begin with; and yet the only answer is to recklessly discard more armour.

A key to a long, productive writing life is finding ways to support that life, emotionally and existentially.

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

You honor your writing space by recovering, if you are an addict. You honor your writing space by becoming an anxiety expert, a real pro at mindfulness and personal calming. You honor your writing space by affirming that you matter, that your writing life matters, and that your current writing project matters. You honor your writing space by entering it with this mantra: “I am ready to work.” You enter, grow quiet, and vanish into your writing.