I wrote in the War of Art that I could divide my life neatly into two parts: before turning pro and after. After is better.

We show up. We do our best. Good things happen.

You are a writer when you tell yourself you are. No one else's opinion matters. Screw them. You are when you say you are.

A great trick that I learned having worked as a screenwriter for many years, the way screenwriters work, is they break the project down into three-act structure: Act 1, Act 2, Act 3. I think that is a great way to break down any project, whether it's a new business or anything at all.

Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It's a gift to the world and every being in it. Don't cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you've got.

Of any activity you do, ask yourself: If I were the last person on earth, would I still do it?

What finally convinced me to go ahead was simply that I was so unhappy not going ahead.