I often think about writing a memoir or compiling a book of essays. For the most part, I have lived a rather mundane life. I can’t say that I have accomplished anything noteworthy and I am not famous. However, my life has been—and is—a journey of finding that being creative is important.

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The writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. And he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true.

— John Steinbeck (1902-1968) American writer

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This quote is displayed on my desk. For any artist, whatever you are doing has to feel and be of utmost significance . . . at least to you. You can never know what reaction other people will have to your work . . . but the artist has to create and it has to feel important . . . so important that you just can’t not do it.

I have gone through periods in my life when I was not being creative. It is hard to write, to compose, to draw—whatever the medium. It is easier not to face the decisions, challenges, self-doubt, and possible rejection. 

I have found that working creatively affects the rest of my life—in a good way. To be creative is to be flexible in thought—looking for solutions in unusual or unexpected ways. I notice the details (in people and things) around me with clarity and greater awareness. I savor each moment—the richness, the fullness, the joy, the sadness, the possibilities. I am open to life.

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I’m always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.

— Miles Davis (1926-1991) American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer