The hardest thing I've ever written: inquirer.com/opinion/comment… via @phillyinquirer

“I want this book to make it harder for people to deny the humanity of trans people. The language used about trans people is intentional. It invites people not to see a human being.” —Laverne Cox ow.ly/x41550ZWGcL

“I was looking at the internet, and everything just seemed like wet clay. It just seemed like this place where you can really come and put your fingerprints on it in a way that film or print just didn’t feel as accessible at the time.” —Craig Elimeliah ow.ly/7gOh50ZYLIZ

“Mind wandering is not wasted time. Some of our most important thinking happens in the moments when we stop forcing ourselves to be productive.” —Manoush Zomorodi ow.ly/ii4y50ZWGcf

“I looked at all these incredible job offers and thought, ‘Someone else can do that job. What’s the thing that only I can do?’ Independent work nourishes the soul in a way that scale never could.” —Craig Mod ow.ly/mvaY50ZWGbv

“What you need to do is deeply understand the people you serve and create real, authentic solutions that they truly need, both functionally and emotionally.” —Mauro Porcini ow.ly/Riy450ZWGbf

From Friends and Freaks and Geeks to Anchorman, costume designer Debra McGuire has shaped some of Hollywood’s most iconic looks. She joins to discuss her creative journey, storytelling through costume, and her new book, Dressing the Story. ow.ly/SbsU50ZYYyR

“Perfectionism and that voice that says, ‘Don’t be cringe. Don’t put yourself out there,’ are shrinking forces. Our life force, our spirit, is here to expand us. We have to find workarounds for the voices that keep us playing small.” —Piera Gelardi ow.ly/ChZY50ZWGa5

“I’ve never been interested in staying in one lane creatively. Every chapter of my career came from following curiosity instead of following a blueprint.” —Bobby Hundreds ow.ly/WuY750ZWG93

“Rejection is the hardest part of my job, by a long shot. It’s very easy to call somebody and say, ‘Hey, you got an okay,’ and discuss the logistics of when the finish should come in. It’s very hard to break somebody’s heart.” —Françoise Mouly ow.ly/kBg450ZWG8L

“More wonder, less certainty.” —Maria Popova ow.ly/ClCw50ZWG8l

“Take a beat. Slow down. Be present. You don't have to do twenty things. Do two things. Say yes to that person and that person. You're one person with two arms, two legs, a head, and a heart.” —Spencer Bailey ow.ly/7gi630sZltC

“When things get hard, I try to remember that playfulness isn’t just for the creative process. It’s also for the difficult moments. Curiosity, experimentation, and imagination aren’t luxuries—they’re tools for navigating pressure.” —Piera Gelardi ow.ly/RXJ630sZltB

“The older I get, the more I realize confidence comes from learning to trust your own perspective instead of constantly deferring to everyone else.” —Manoush Zomorodi ow.ly/EiwW30sZltA

“I think the challenge of life—the task of life—is to have enough.” —Maria Popova ow.ly/QYPj30sZltz

“I instinctively understood that nowhere was safe except my imagination. The world wasn't safe. People were not trustworthy. So I lived in my imagination.” —Laverne Cox ow.ly/akfl30sZlty

Craig Elimeliah, Chief Creative Officer of Code and Theory, joins to discuss his unconventional path into design, the early days of the internet, and how AI is reshaping creativity, authorship, and the future of design. ow.ly/z2l050ZWQN4

“The older I get, the more I realize that making things is really about bringing people together and helping them find each other in the dark.” —Bobby Hundreds ow.ly/GZxl30sZltx

“Happiness is achieved with very simple things.” —Santiago Carrasquilla ow.ly/NMLc30sZltv

“I thought, this is going to be so hard… But there was also something really delicious about the idea that I might get to do what I really wanted to do.” —Jodi Kantor ow.ly/lXo430sZltu

“If the technical skill is what defines you as a designer, maybe you are not a designer.” —Mauro Porcini ow.ly/A2nh30sZltt