Quote wall: Raymond Chandler

On the bulletin board above my desk, I keep a handful of quotes that have taught me something, or that I hope to learn from.

Here's one:

Two very simple rules, a: you don’t have to write. b: you can’t do anything else.

—Raymond Chandler, in a 1949 letter

I love the simplicity of this advice. Don't succumb to distractions; let your mind be unoccupied. The work will happen.