April 25

All artists suffer doubts. Great directors watch from the back of screening rooms and have to breathe their hyperventilated doubt into brown paper bags. Brilliant actresses suffer stage fright as painful as rickets. Doubt is a part of the territory as an artist. Surviving doubt, learning to discern what is emotional terrorism and what is a proper, suggested course adjustment, is something an artist becomes more skilled at over time—and often only with the help of his creative elders who have suffered doubt themselves. We need faith to survive doubt and we also need charity. When doubt attacks, we must be vigilantly self-loving. The dark night of the soul comes to all artists. When it comes to you, know that it is simply a tricky part of the trail and that you will see better in the morning.