Quote of the Day: Chris Van Allsburg on Life & Wisdom

We often believe that creativity is a factory line: pick the “right” trend, follow the “proven” steps, and results will arrive on schedule. But the artists who endure tend to operate by a different compass, one that values inner signal over outer noise. That’s why Chris Van Allsburg’s quiet confidence lands so well: “Following my muse has worked out pretty well so far. I can't see any reason to change the formula now.”

Notice what’s hiding in plain sight: he calls it a formula, but it’s not a hack. It’s a relationship, between attention and instinct, between curiosity and craft. “Muse” doesn’t mean waiting around for lightning; it means listening closely to what keeps pulling at you, then showing up often enough to give it form. When you honor that pull, you stop negotiating with everyone else’s expectations and start building work that actually fits you.

The second line is the real permission slip. We live in a culture that worships novelty, as if changing direction is automatically growth. Van Allsburg suggests a steadier kind of progress: keep what works, refine what’s yours, and resist the panic that you’re falling behind. Consistency isn’t stagnation when it’s rooted in purpose; it’s how talent becomes trustworthy.

Chris Van Allsburg earned that trust the hard way, by repeatedly turning imagination into classics like Jumanji and The Polar Express, stories that prove intuition can be both original and widely loved.

Today, give your muse a measurable vote: set a 25-minute timer, choose the one idea you can’t stop circling, and make a “first ugly version” without permission from anyone, then write one sentence about what felt alive. May you follow the thread that’s been calling you, and keep walking until it becomes success.