All of us contain a divine, expressive spark, a creative candle intended to light our path and that of our fellows.

Here's what I like about God: Trees are crooked, mountains are lumpy, a lot of his creatures are funny looking, and he made it all anyway. He didn't let the aardvark convince him he had no business designing creatures. He didn't make a puffer fish and get discouraged, no, the maker made things - and still does.

Workaholism is a block, not a building block.

Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.

An artist requires the upkeep of creative solitude. An artist requires the healing of time alone. Without this period of recharging, our artist becomes depleted. Until we experience the freedom of solitude, we cannot connect authentically. We may be enmeshed, but we are not encountered. Art lies in the moment of encounter. We meet our truth and we meet ourselves and we meet our self-expression.

In order to have a real relationship with our creativity, we must take the time and care to cultivate it.

Sometimes the dying live more fiercely and wisely than the rest of us. (146)