In my experience, anyone can paint if he doesn't have to.
Tolstoy is one of the greatest artists in history, but he finally became infused with the idea of the uselessness of art. He gave himself to his own kind of religion.
If the Buddhist's job is to be detached, I think that the artist's job is to be both detached and attached.
Maybe being an artist is a kind of detachment. You're in the cave, you're isolated, you're apart from everything and it's there you can find out what you believe in, or what is - what is the nature of being, as you see it.
It's just that very few poets disturb the peace to any degree.
The act of writing itself isn't outrageous. And the institution subtly and insidiously works on you in such a way that though you seem to have freedom you become a servant. Your main issue is to get promoted to the next thing. Or get invited to a picnic. Or get tenure. Or get laid.
I was ruined before I got started. I say ruined, but I could say blessed; I was too far gone to believe in it. And I'm shocked how generation after generation repeats the behavior.
I realized the secret to success is finishing! And not just finishing, but finishing strong!
When everything seems to fall apart. . that's when everything new you prayed for has room to enter your life.
Good hairstylists never die. Vidal Sassoon and Paul Mitchell will always live on.
I don't know that a movie like Doctor Strange couldn't have been the second or third film we made. I don't think we're doing anything in that requires past viewing, as opposed to Civil War which we wouldn't have done as the first or second movie because so much of that film is based on the pre-existing relationships between the characters.