In 1965, the sculptor Eva Hesse was in the middle of a creative block so she wrote to her friend and fellow artist Sol Lewitt (whose Wall Drawing #370 I got to see again at the Met last week). His response is probably the most motivating thing I've heard in a while. If you want to see his actual letter, it's here) but here are some of my favorite parts:
Learn to say "Fuck You" to the world once in a while. You have every right to.
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Don't worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world. If you fear, make it work for you — draw & paint your fear & anxiety.
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Try to do some BAD work — the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell — you are not responsible for the world — you are only responsible for your work — so DO IT.
I first heard about this letter when the always-great Open Culture blog posted a video of Benedict Cumberbatch reading it aloud. It's the (NSFW) kick in the pants that everyone needs sometimes.
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