A friend gave me a photocopied sheet, reportedly from a notebook belonging to Thelonius Monk and circulated by Al Kooper. It’s pretty cool, but four items in particular caught my eye:

• Just because you’re not a drummer, doesn’t mean that you don’t have to keep time.
• You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?
• A genius is the one most like himself.
• They tried to get me to hate white people, but someone would always come along & spoil it.

Number 3 is inspiring. I want to make a sign out of it and put it on the wall. I’m in no danger of being considered a genius, but I think it’s good advice in any kind of creative endeavor.