Vanessa Daou's Essentials for the Artist:

1. Hone your work ethic, revel in your discipline
2. Always feel the pulse of society
3. Never lose your sense of wonder and awe of Nature
4. Read everything from all fields, from science journals  to scrap booking
5. Learn the roots of words, subscribe to the  Oxford English Dictionary
6. Read dictionaries in other languages, write in languages you don't know
7. Draw anything in order to understand it better
8. Mark up your books, take notes, record your first impressions in the margins
9. Keep a notebook of thoughts, observations, sketches,  meanderings
10. Read what it is that instigates & intimidates you
11. Learn from other artists who don't share your vision, voice, or aesthetic
12. Always try to reach those who cannot see or hear
13. Aim to move those whose hearts have been hardened
14. Stop yourself when you are jaded or too confident
15. Be as prepared for failure and for greatness
16. Learn to lower your expectations
17. Chose solitude over solidarity
18. Leave some things unfinished
19. Love the art you are in   
20. Find your voice and dare to use it
21. Offer up your own resistance
22. Limit your possibilities 
23. Explore your limitations 
24. Remain standing