The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.

Writing is like breathing, it's possible to learn to do it well, but the point is to do it no matter what.

I believe that I am very lucky to have close friends who are faithful. From my friends, I have learned the importance of perseverance.

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.

At root, a pearl is a 'disturbance' a beauty caused by something that isn't supposed to be there, about which something needs to be done. It is the interruption of equilibrium that creates beauty. Beauty is a response to provocation, to intrusion. ... The pearl's beauty is made as a result of insult.

In our human lives, we are often impatient, ill-tempered, inappropriate. We find it difficult to treat our intimates with the love we really hold for them. Despite this, they bear with us because of the larger, higher level of family that they honor even in our outbursts. This is their commitment.

The heart of creativity is an experience of the mystical union; the heart of the mystical union is an experience of creativity.