Tabitha

“To make things that don’t exist yet—and don’t need to exist, because that is the very definition of art—and to send them out into the world is wildly, impractically, gorgeously hopeful.

“This is my way of saying there is no creativity without hope. Creativity is inherently hopeful, and the reverse is also true: Hope is inherently creative. Hope is

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“Trust in the value of making things, not just in the value of the things you’ve made. Try to avoid being overly invested in the outcome. Let go of that as much as you can.

“Remember: You’re not for everyone. Your work isn’t for everyone. If you’ve made something no one would object to, it’s probably something no one will feel passionate about

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“One of the most pervasive myths about writing is that specificity is limiting. It’s just the opposite. You might think that a poem about love or truth or freedom—a large abstraction—would reach more people if it were written with universality in mind. But if your goal is to speak to everyone, and to remove particulars from the piece because others

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