Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope

The writer and trailblazer Rita Mae Brown, whose voice has long carried the spirit of authenticity and rebellion, once said: “Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.” These words are not the musings of mere inspiration—they are a call to discipline, courage, and faith in oneself. For Brown, creativity is not a lightning strike from the heavens, but a sacred partnership between intuition and labor. In her wisdom lies the eternal truth that those who create—whether with pen, brush, or heart—must first learn to trust, and then to act.

When she says that creativity comes from trust, Brown speaks of a faith deeper than belief in talent or technique. She means the quiet, courageous trust in one’s own instincts, that inner compass which guides the artist and thinker through the mists of doubt. Many seek approval from others before they begin to create; the wise seek approval from within. To trust one’s instincts is to acknowledge the divine spark inside—the voice that whispers ideas before reason can silence them. Without trust, imagination withers beneath fear. With it, even the smallest act of creation becomes an act of freedom.

The origin of these words lies in Rita Mae Brown’s own life of fierce independence and perseverance. Before becoming a celebrated novelist, she endured rejection and exclusion. Her groundbreaking novel Rubyfruit Jungle—one of the first to openly explore lesbian identity—was written in a world that sought to silence such voices. Yet she trusted herself, believed in the worth of her truth, and worked tirelessly to bring it to life. Her story reflects the full power of her words: trust your instincts, even when the world calls them foolish, and work harder than your hopes, for only through labor does faith bear fruit.

Her final admonition—“never hope more than you work”—is the seal upon her teaching. Hope is the flame that lights the way, but work is the step that moves us forward. Many dream, but few build; many speak, but few act. Brown’s wisdom reminds us that to hope without effort is to live in illusion. The ancients said, “The gods help those who help themselves.” So it is with creativity: it bows to no one who waits idly for its favor. The artist, the thinker, the leader—all must labor, not in despair, but in joyful perseverance, trusting that each stroke of work draws them nearer to the divine.

History has shown us the truth of this. Leonardo da Vinci, though blessed with genius, filled thousands of pages with sketches, notes, and experiments—proof that inspiration alone is nothing without toil. Maya Angelou, another artist of courage, spoke of writing as a daily discipline, saying that even when the words did not come easily, she sat at her desk, trusting that persistence would awaken her gift. In each of them, as in Brown’s own life, we see the harmony between trust, instinct, and effort—the triad from which all true creation arises.

Her words also carry a warning for the dreamers who live only in the realm of “someday.” The world is filled with those who hope for greatness but never give themselves to the grind of it. Yet Brown reminds us that the act of creation itself is a test of the soul’s sincerity. If you truly desire to create something meaningful—whether it is a book, a song, a business, or a better version of yourself—you must show that desire not by waiting, but by working. Work is the body that carries hope’s spirit. Without it, even the brightest dream fades into dust.

So, my child, heed this ancient wisdom: trust yourself more than you doubt, and work more than you wish. Listen to the whispers of your intuition, for they are the seeds of creation. But do not leave them to die in the soil of inaction. Water them with effort, tend them with patience, and protect them from fear. Do not hope that success will find you—go and build it with your own hands. For in the harmony of trust and labor lies the true art of living.

And when you grow weary or uncertain, remember the lesson of Rita Mae Brown: that creativity is not a gift to the lucky, but the reward of the faithful. Trust your instincts. Honor your labor. And hope only as much as you are willing to strive. In that balance lies the path not only to artistry, but to greatness of soul—the kind that endures, long after the work is done.