Almost every important human encounter boils down to that act, and the art, of asking

Asking is, in itself, the fundamental building block of any relationship

It is okay to ask for money, and it is okay to ask for help

It is not only unnecessary to act shame-ridden and apologetic, it is counterproductive

Many people enthusiastically love helping artists

Shame pollutes an environment of asking and giving that thrives on trust and openness

Everyone struggles with asking

It isn’t so much the act of asking that paralyzes us, it’s what lies beneath: the fear of being vulnerable, the fear of rejection, the fear of looking needy or weak. The fear of being seen as a burdensome member of the community instead of a productive one

When you ask, there’s always the possibility of a no. If we don’t allow for that no, we’re not actually asking, we’re either begging or demanding

All of us come from some place of wanting to be seen, understood, accepted, connected

Those who can ask without shame are viewing themselves in collaboration with the world

Hate is fear

The spirit of an artists gifts can wake our own

Use what you can

There’s really no honor in proving that you can carry the entire load on your own shoulders

Limitations can expand, rather than shrink, the creative flow

You have to ask with enough grace and creativity to elicit a response, and you also have to trust the people you’re asking

They’re not scary at all. They’re just a bunch of people

When you’re afraid of someone’s judgement, you can’t connect with them. You’re too preoccupied with the task of impressing them

Listening fast and caring immediately is a skill

If you want to make someone your real friend, ask them for a favor

At the end of the day, we’re all human. We’re all broken in a way, and we’re just trying to feel whole

It’s one thing to want a horse to win. And it’s another thing to buy the ticket

We can only connect the dots that we can connect

Don’t force people to help you. Let them

Just connecting with people is so valuable

When you openly, radically trust people, they not only take care of you, the become your allies, your family

Some people just suck

Not everybody wants to be looked at. Everybody wants to be seen

It isn’t what you say to people, it’s more important what you do with them. It’s less important what you do with them than the way you’re with then

Unconditional love is: I will love you even if you do not love me

You can fix almost anything by authentically communicating

Let them in, love them, let them go

To erase the possibility of empathy is to erase the possibility of understanding

Our first job in life is to recognize the gifts we’ve already got, take the donuts that show up while we cultivate and use those gifts, and then turn around and share those gifts back into the puzzle of the world

Our second job is to accept where we are in the puzzle at each moment