Creativity requires quite a lot of faith - not just in yourself but also in the knowledge that you have the right to proceed, even when you may not know exactly what you're doing.

The last two - distractions and fears - are the dangerous ones. They're the habitual demons that invade the launch of any project. No one starts a creative endeavor without a certain amount of fear; the key is to learn how to keep free-floating fears from paralyzing you before you've begun. When I feel that sense of dread, I try to make it as specific as possible.

I can't emphasize this idea enough. Getting involved with your collaborator's problems almost always distracts you from your own. That can be tempting. That can be a relief. But it usually leads to disaster.

To embrace luck, you have to enhance your tolerance for ambiguity.

I was valedictorian. Did I enjoy going to school? I hated it. It wasn't a choice on my part, it was expected.

if you want to create art, you'd best have a deep belief in yourself and no ulterior motives.

In the not-for-profit world, there can be wastefulness because there's not the desperate urgency of when you're on a clock.