Work ethic vs. inspiration

There is no doubt that even the greatest musical geniuses have sometimes worked without inspiration. This guest does not always respond to the first invitation. We must always work, and a self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood. - from a letter by Tchaikovsky at Brain Pickings

It's the first twelve years that are the hardest

"Tenacity and persistence are the key to a writing career. Keep writing (regularly and seriously), and you will be published. You will get better. You will go deeper." - novelist Ann Napolitano in a mini pep talk for writers.

Overcome the timid circuits

The desire to make something beautiful, to express our luminous sensations, is not a rare drive confined to those with artistic training. We don't notice this need because we constantly suppress it, because the timid circuits of the prefrontal cortex keep us from risking self-expression. -- Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer

Four things

Be bold once it’s clear what you want. Be patient. Be persistent. Don’t be afraid to fail. It’s what you do after that counts. - From Jane Friedman's farewell post at Writer Unboxed.

Exactly

I write because I love to read. I have loved to read since I was too young to even know what I was reading. For me, writing is the natural extension of reading. It is the other side of the same conversation about what makes our narratives feel special—the unique ways we experience joy, work through relationships and figure out what we want our lives to be. Writing is another way to experience stories, another way to share them. - author Laura Dave at The Divining Wand. Read the entire post; it's a good one.

"Living the focused life...

is not about being happy all the time..." Love this from Ava Jae. Need to make subway art with it.

Gnosticism III

First line has to make your brain race that’s how Homer does it, that’s how Frank O’Hara does it, why at such a pace Muses slam through the house — there goes one (fainting) up the rungs of your strange BULLFIGHT, buttered almost in a nearness to skyblue They pang — Pollock yourself! Just to hang on to life is why -- Anne Carson