There are no rules, you make your own rules, below are just personal experiences, adopt them, change them, create new ones, rewrite them:

1. Ignore everybody.

2. The idea does not have to be big. It just has to change the world.

3. Put the hours in and have fun.

4. If your business plan depends on you suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Necessity is the mother of invention.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative, everyone is given a box of crayons in creche.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that suppress creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need to be praised.

11. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd, avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else’s outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can’t.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about “Commercial vs. Artistic” is a complete waste of time.

24. Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own style.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

Bonus:

31. Don’t think outside of the box, think like there is no box.