*Typing*

Fog itself can't hurt you. It can't suffocate you. It can't swallow you. It can't cock back and sock you. Yet, fog is creepy. Terrifying, even.

There's a reason you see so much fog in horror movies. What's horrifying about fog isn't the fog itself but the uncertainty that fog represents. Three feet in front of you could be a flesh-eating werewolf or a cuddly litter of puppies. But, you will never know because of the fog.

To navigate through fog without losing your mind, you must let go of certainty. Yes. You must get comfortable existing despite not having certainty. Humans struggle with this. We want certainty around every choice that we make.

But, if you wait to act until you know the answer, you will live life standing still.

When I think about reinvention, I think about Bob Dylan pulling out an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Music Festival. He was violently booed off stage and it was rumored that Pete Seeger cut his power cords with an axe.

Reinvention is one path to success as a creative––but it’s not the only path.

Jason Statham is the antithesis of Bob Dylan. He plays the same role in every movie: an unsuspecting badass-in-disguise that unleashes hell on bad guys everywhere. Some could argue he should reinvent himself. However, every time Jason Statham is asked to be Jason Statham on the big screen, he fetches a payout of $25 million.

Furthermore, as a movie-goer, you don’t go see a Jason Statham film to watch Jason Statham be anyone besides Jason Statham. You see a Jason Statham film because you want consistency. You want Jason Statham.

Consistency is another path towards creative success.

A chargrilled slab of Branzino with a heap of Chimichurri tastes far better and fresher when enjoyed by the ocean. This isn’t because it necessarily is better and fresher, though. These days, with transportation as swift as it is, you can eat a piece of Branzino for dinner in Nashville, Tennessee that was swimming off the coast of San Francisco that morning. Branzino tastes better and fresher by the ocean because of placebo.

Placebo is important to the creative process. If a hot cup of coffee in a heavy ceramic mug makes you feel more creative, you’re more creative. If a cigar in a dimly lit lounge makes you feel more creative, you're more creative. If a vinyl humming faintly in the background of your home at 2 p.m. on a Sunday makes you feel more creative, you're more creative.

Play with placebo. Find the environment that makes you feel most creative and return to it, again and again.

Not all fires are created equal.

Napalm burns as hot as 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 30 seconds, just enough time to incinerate everything it comes into contact with. Hardwood, on the other hand, burns long and slow, warming a winter-chilled home deep to its bones.

We must always be aware of what's fueling our fire.

Jealousy, insecurity and inadequacy are all tremendous fuel. They will burn as bright and as hot as napalm. But, they're unsustainable––if not outright destructive to you and those around you.

Love, purpose and generosity are another fuel. They won't burn as bright and as hot as their more staggering counterparts. But, they can heat a home, a community, a little corner of the world.

Nick Drake recorded the album Pink Moon with just his voice and an acoustic guitar. Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez shot The Blair Witch Project on a camcorder with just a $60,000 budget (it saw a box office of $250 million). Henry Ford offered his Model T's in just one shade: black. Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham after his editor bet him he couldn't write a story using only 50 words. Constraints don't hinder creativity. They unleash it. Constraints narrow down the choices for the artist so they can focus entirely on creating great work.