Notes

The reason there are so many quotes here is because all of these are already at that level where you cannot add anything to this.

Trust yourself

Process saves us from the poverty of our intentions .

What is art?

“Art is what we call it when we’re able to create something new that changes someone”

“Here we go again” is an easy way to lull yourself into victimhood, a place where the work is no longer up to you .

If we condition ourselves to work without flow , it’s more likely to arrive .

Flow is a symptom of the work we’re doing , not the cause of it .

only after we do the difficult work does it become our calling . Only after we trust the process does it become our passion . “ Do what you love ” is for amateurs . “ Love what you do ” is the mantra for professionals .

outcomes are the results of process . Good processes , repeated over time , lead to good outcomes more often than lazy processes do .

A good decision is based on what we know of the options and the odds . A good outcome happens or it doesn’t : it is a consequence of the odds , not the hidden answer .

The guarantee requires industrial sameness , recipes that have been tested , and most of all , the fungible labor of the disrespected laborer . If anyone can do it , then we’ll just hire anyone .

Yes , you’re an imposter . But you’re an imposter acting in service of generosity , seeking to make things better . When we embrace imposter syndrome instead of working to make it disappear , we choose the productive way forward .

The practice doesn’t care when you decide to become an artist . What simply matters is that you decide .

Persistent and consistent effort over time can yield results .

We develop trust over time . Our interactions lead to expectations , and those expectations , repeated and supported , turn into trust .

Better to set aside judging yourself until after you’ve committed to the practice and done the work .

Generous

The world conspires to hold us back , but it can’t do that without our permission.

manipulation : if the people you’re interacting with discover what you already know , will they be glad that they did what you asked them to ?

Nostalgia for a future that hasn’t happened yet is a modern affliction . We spend our days imagining that tomorrow might not be what we’re hoping for , filled with regret about what might have been . We see what’s possible , we know that we have a chance to make things better — and yet we hesitate .

The easiest way to go through life is to let life go through you . Give in to the prevailing winds and go along to get along . This requires very little effort because you’re not working with intent — at least not your own intent . You’re getting by . Doing your best . Perhaps even just doing your job .

Problems have solutions . That’s what makes them problems . A problem without a solution isn’t a problem , it’s simply a situation .

First , you can embrace the fact that you can , in fact , trust the process and repeat the practice often enough to get unstuck . Second , you can focus on the few , not everyone . And third , you can bring intention to your work , making every step along the way count .

Responding or reacting to incoming asks becomes the narration of your days , instead of the generous work of making your own contribution .

Inbox zero is a virtuous habit , though an exhausting one . Like all forms of responsiveness , it favors the short term over the long , the urgent over the important . And it comes with a juicy deniability , a way to spend an hour or two without having to own too much .

“ It’s not for you ” is the unspoken possible companion to “ Here , I made this . ”

The first thing is making exactly what you want , for you . And the second thing is making something for those you seek to connect and change . Pursuing either is fine . Pursuing both is a recipe for unhappiness , because what you’re actually doing is insisting that other people want what you want and see what you see .

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 .

The Professional

Any idea withheld is an idea taken away. It’s selfish to hold back when there’s a chance you have something to offer.

For some of us, though, on the hook is the best place to be. It’s on you. It’s on me. Our choice, our turn, our responsibility. This is our practice. The missing element, for so many, is our lack of trust. We feel that we somehow can’t trust ourselves enough to take this on, because it’s too fraught, too difficult, too risky … Everything that matters is something we’ve chosen to do. Everything that matters is a skill and an attitude. Everything that matters is something we can learn. The practice is choice plus skill plus attitude. We can learn it and we can do it again. We don’t ship the work because we’re creative. We’re creative because we ship the work.

At least once you’ve said or done something insightful, generous, and original. At least once you’ve solved a problem or given someone a hand by shining a light. The practice simply asks you to do it more than once, to do it often enough that it becomes your practice.

A professional is not simply a happy amateur who got paid.

Intent

Who are you trying to change? What change are you trying to make? How will you know if it worked?

you should only care about the opinions of those who are actually open to engaging with one. Someone, not everyone.

Intentional action demands a really good reason. Find a who, make an assertion, and execute your work to deliver on that promise. You can’t find a good reason until you know what you’re trying to accomplish.

The “what’s-it-for” recursion lets you choose to go to work, efficiently working toward a goal, whenever you decide it’s important enough to ask the question. And it permits us to be open to useful feedback.

If we’re going to act with intention and empathy, our path is clear. The work is to make change happen. If we don’t ship the work, no change will happen. If we ship the wrong work to the wrong people, no change will happen. Your audience doesn’t want your authentic voice. They want your consistent voice.

Skill and attitude. Enjoying things that others don’t. Finding joy in the mundane? Finding joy in the process? Isn’t it? The act of sitting for half an hour a day trying to think of things. Of worlds. About the art. Writing and rewriting. First drafts are shit. Just read any of my stories for that matter. They are all meandering.