And he sailed off through night
and day

and in and out of weeks

and almost over a year

to where the wild things are.

– Maurice Sendak

The
passing of Maurice Sendak this week gave me fresh inspiration to always be true
to myself as an artist.  As writers, we
must always be willing to take chances and write what we want to write – not
what others think we should.  We simply must
be honest in order to truly succeed in our craft.  Although some critics didn’t know what to do
with Sendak’s unconventional style of storytelling and his deliciously dark
children’s tales, he mo­st certainly struck a nerve with kids.  And as we know, kids are very good at detecting
insincerity.  So, as you write this week
– and beyond – remember to trust your instincts.  I promise you won’t regret it.