On Courage

"What “real
artists” have is courage. Not enormous gobs of it. Just enough for today.
Creativity, like breathing, always comes down to the question, “Are you doing
it now?” The awful truth is that there is always some small creative act for
which we can find the courage. If you can’t mail your manuscript today, you can
Xerox it and address the envelope. Perhaps tomorrow the envelope can be dropped
in the mail. Just for today, even if you can’t start a new canvas, you can
stretch one, gesso one, and clean your brushes. As with housework, there is
always something, and the little somethings add up, over time, to a flow.
Courage, after all, is a matter of heart, and hearts do their work one beat at
a time."

-Julia
Cameron, The Vein of Gold