We tend to think being hard on ourselves will make us strong. But it is cherishing ourselves that gives us strength

I started writing morning pages just to keep my hand in, you know, just because I was a writer and I didn't know what else to do but write. And then one day as I was writing, a character came sort of strolling in and I realized, Oh my God, I don't have to be just a screenwriter. I can write novels.

Creativity is always a leap of faith. You're faced with a blank page, blank easel, or an empty stage.

Judging your early artistic efforts is artist abuse. . . Remember that in order to recover as an artist, you must be willing to be a bad artist. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. By being willing to be a bad artist, you have a chance to be an artist, and perhaps, over time, a very good one

... success or failure, the truth of a life really has little to do with its quality. The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.

Do what intrigues you, explore what interests you; think mystery, not mastery.

Workaholism is an addiction, and like all addictions, it blocks creative energy.