Don't prepare. Begin. Our enemy is not lack of preparation. The enemy is resistance, our chattering brain producing excuses. Start before you are ready.

Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.

The best and only thing that one artist can do for another is to serve as an example and an inspiration.

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’re all pros already. 1) We show up every day 2) We show up no matter what 3) We stay on the job all day 4) We are committed over the long haul 5) The stakes for us are high and real 6) We accept remuneration for our labor 7) We do not overidentify with our jobs 8 ) We master the technique of our jobs 9) We have a sense of humor about our jobs 10) We receive praise or blame in the real world

To feel ambition and to act upon it is to embrace the unique calling of our souls.

The amateur tweets. The pro works.