“The practice will take you where you seek to go better than any other path you can follow. And while you’re engaging in the practice, you’ll honor your potential and the support and kindness of everyone who came before you.”
“You’re an artist as soon as you announce you are. As a leader, a coach, a contributor, a designer, a musician, an impresario . . . it’s art if you let it be. If you care enough.”
“Waiting for a feeling is a luxury we don’t have time for.”
“The story we tell ourselves leads to the actions we take.”
“If you want to change your story, change your actions first. We become what we do.”
“We do the work, whether we feel like it or not, and then, without warning, flow can arise. Flow is a symptom of the work we’re doing, not the cause of it.”
“Do what you love” is for amateurs. “Love what you do” is the mantra for professionals.
“The only way to be on this journey is to begin.”
“The practice has nothing at all to do with being sure the work is going to be successful. That’s a trap.”
“if you need a guarantee you’re going to win before you begin, you’ll never start.”
“Identity fuels action, and action creates habits, and habits are part of a practice, and a practice is the single best way to get to where you seek to go.”
“The only choice we have is to begin. And the only place to begin is where we are.”
“once you begin, you are.”
“Do the work, become the artist. Instead of planning, simply become. Acting as if is how we acquire identity.”
“Writers write. Runners run. Establish your identity by doing your work.”
“The career of every successful creative is part of a similar practice: a pattern of small bridges, each just scary enough to dissuade most people. The practice requires a commitment to a series of steps, not a miracle.”
“If you don’t think you’ll have a good idea ever again, you’ll hesitate to share what you do have, because you’re worried that it will be stolen and you’ll be left with nothing.”
“in our journey to create change, we’re also creating discomfort.”
“If you are using outcomes that are out of your control as fuel for your work, it’s inevitable that you will burn out. Because it’s not fuel you can replenish, and it’s not fuel that burns without a residue.”
“if you have a practice, failure is part of it.”
“The practice demands that we seek to make an impact on someone, not on everyone.”
“When we get really attached to how others will react to our work, we stop focusing on our work and begin to focus on controlling the outcome instead.”
“As soon as we stop looking for something to grab, our attention is freed up to go back to the practice, to go back to the work.”
“Asking why, even if the asking and the answers make you uncomfortable, forces you to truly look at something. And that’s not only brave, it’s generous.”
“If we failed, would it be worth the journey? Do you trust yourself enough to commit to engaging with a project regardless of the chances of success? The first step is to separate the process from the outcome. Not because we don’t care about the outcome. But because we do.”
“The best way through the paradox is by working. Ship creative work. On a schedule. Without attachment and without reassurance.”
“just because we can’t be sure doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”
“Every creator who has engaged in the practice has a long, nearly infinite string of failures.”
“We fail and then we edit and then we do it again.”
“writer’s block is simply a side effect of our narrative. It’s not an actual physical or organic ailment, simply a story we tell ourselves, one that leads to bad work habits and persistent fear.”
“It’s hard to get blocked when you’re moving. Even if you’re not moving in the direction that you had in mind that morning.”
“Everyone who creates feels resistance.”
“When we stop worrying about whether we’ve done it perfectly, we can focus on the process instead.”
“The process, not the outcome. That’s the heart of our practice. Good process leads to good outcomes.”
“If the practice you’ve developed isn’t getting you what you are after, you can politely walk away from it.“
“External success only exists to fuel our ability to do the work again.”
“Flow is the result of effort. The muse shows up when we do the work. Not the other way around.”
“Ignore the parts you can’t control.”
“Don’t worry about changing the world. First, focus on making something worth sharing.”
“Good needs to be defined before you begin. What’s it for and who’s it for? If it achieves its mission, then it’s good.”
“The only way to get through the steps is to do the steps.”
“When you’re surrounded by respected peers, it’s more likely you’ll do the work you set out to do. And if you’re not, consider finding some.”
“Ultimately, the goal is to become the best in the world at being you.”
“You’ll need to trust that this process makes it possible, and trust that you’re the one to do it.”
“The line between an amateur and professional keeps blurring, but for me, the posture of understanding both the pioneers and the state of the art is essential. Skill is earned.”
“The change we seek to make can feel small indeed, but it all ripples.”
“No one can possibly do a better job of being you than you can. And the best version of you is the one who has committed to a way forward.”
Your work is never going to be good enough (for everyone). But it’s already good enough (for someone).”
“Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them.”
“The magic is that there is no magic. Start where you are. Don’t stop.”
