my best advice for being a creative

"the most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time." -mary oliver

people often ask me how to start writing, making short form videos, creating long form content. they want to know about that initial spark, the process of building a sustainable practice, the strange alchemy that turns raw inspiration into finished work. after years of creating, teaching, and mentoring, i've distilled what i believe to be the most important truths about the creative life.

here is my master list:

1. "before you can think out of the box, you have to start with a box"- twyla tharp. this insight contradicts the romantic notion of innate genius but aligns with historical evidence across creative disciplines. analysis of the developmental arc of master artists reveals that distinctive style emerges gradually through extensive production rather than arriving fully formed. picasso's early work shows strong academic influence before his signature style emerged through thousands of experiments. the beatles' early recordings closely mimicked american r&b before evolving into their innovative sound. your unique voice isn't something you discover in a flash of insight but something you develop through consistent choice-making across hundreds or thousands of works. historically, apprenticeship systems acknowledged this reality: novices began by copying masters, then making small variations, and eventually developing distinctive approaches through volume of work. this understanding liberates creators from the paralyzing search for perfect originality and redirects energy toward productive practice. your creative voice emerges not by avoiding influence but by processing so many influences through so much practice that something uniquely yours inevitably results.