You always hear people say, "Well, it's the market, it's the market." What the hell does that mean? I don't even know what that means as opposed to what did you do to ... I mean, the world's going to exist whether you like it or not. I always say I got to live in this world; I don't create it. The world's happening, what are you going to do about i... See more

Blame your tools

Blame the clients. And blame the conditions.

But then, you’re on the hook to get better tools, find better clients and work in better conditions.

It’s not convenient, but it’s possible.

If it’s not worth the effort, we can simply accept what we’ve chosen and get back to work.

I have learned so many things from music about writing. I think there are three important elements: rhythm, harmony, and free improvisation. I learned these things from music, not from literature. And when I started to write, I tried to write as though I were playing music.

It's scary to admit that you can't control the future; it's a lot easier to distract yourself by trying to optimize every decision, no matter how insignificant.

About half of my friends kind of hate their jobs, so they're moderately unhappy most of the time, but never unhappy enough to leave. This is the mediocrity trap : situations that are bad-but-not-too-bad keep you forever in their orbit because they never inspire the frustration it takes to achieve escape velocity.

The mediocrity trap is a nasty way t... See more

every moment I dither is a moment I suffer

People will sometimes approach me with projects I don't really want to do. But if I do them, those people will smile and shake my hand and go, “We feel positive emotions, and it's because of you!” and that will feel good. So I often end up signing on to these projects, feeling resentful the whole time, cursing myself for choosing—freely!—to work ha... See more

By pausing, opening an app or a notebook or pulling my sleeve up to write an idea on my arm (something I do a lot), and committing that idea to memory - that act itself breathes life into not just the idea but into my conception of self as an artist, a writer, a person who takes his own ideas seriously.

Writing things makes them real. The stuff of s... See more