"Use what you have, use what the world gives you. Use the first day of fall: bright flame before winter's deadness; harvest; orange, gold, amber; cool nights and the smell of fire... Use your dreams and your secrets and your neglected, hidden imagination.
Write a love song for someone who will never love you back. Write a comedy that used to be a tragedy, because you can create any ending you want for your own story. Write a song that says everything you've ever wanted to say to your father, or fill a canvas with all the things you hope you find out that God is, when you meet him someday.
Dance till your feet bleed, sing till you're hoarse, spill aout all your stories like pouring wine into thing-stemmed glasses, the liquid rich and blood-red. Get up. Create like you're training for a marathon, methodically, day by day. Learn your tricks, find a friend, leave the dirty dishes in the sink for a while. This is your chance to become what you believe deep in your secret heart you might be. Do the work, learn the skills, and make art, because of what the act of creation will create in you." (Page 163)
[Shauna Niequist]
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