The artist brain is the sensory brain: sight and sound, smell and taste, touch. These are the elements of magic, and magic is the elemental stuff of art. In filling the well, think magic. Think delight. Think fun. Do not think duty. Do not do what you should do-spiritual sit-ups like reading a dull but recommended critical text. Do what intrigues you, explore what interests you; think mystery, not mastery.

Taking the time to write in our lives gives us the time of our lives. As we describe our environments, we begin to savor them. Even the most rushed and pell-mell life begins to take on the patina of being cherished.

If we are forever yearning for more time, we are forever discounting what is offered.

When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: good, orderly direction.

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

Pray to catch the bus, then run as fast as you can.

It hurts like hell when the world won't invest in you. But it's excruciating, almost more than you can bear, when you don't believe and invest in yourself.