“Inspiration is for amateurs,” Chuck Close says. There are two ways to interpret this:

1. A professional shows up even when they don’t feel inspiration. They show up every day and do the work. They don’t wait for an intense emotion to pull them into the work.

2. A professional does not mindlessly engage inspiration. They’ll be mindful of the emotion, and they’ll pause and try to understand it. It might lead to a small action, just to test the waters, not always an intense action. Inspiration doesn’t come over them like a fever. They keep cool and see with clarity.

Intense emotions like inspiration will come and go. An action of corresponding intensity is not always the best plan. The two don’t have to go hand in hand.