Last week we lost a true generational artist, David Lynch.

I talk a lot about freelancing and making a living from your creativity. Covering your expenses, having clients, selling work, creating content - that’s all great. But really, it goes much deeper than all of that.

I always shy away from the term “art.” Maybe because I don’t feel worthy of it’s title. But what I do know is there’s Creativity with a capital C. Creativity as way of being. The real essence of what it means to live a creative life. Or, as David Lynch called it, “The Art Life.”

“The art life is a great life. It’s coffee, and cigarettes, maybe some red wine. It’s catching ideas and translating them to one medium or another.”

With his iconic voice, he often shared his ethos around art, creativity, and life. His interviews are an invaluable resource for creatives and artists to absorb. But for now here is a short list of quotes and lessons from David Lynch.

Lessons from David Lynch for Living “The Art Life”

Trust Your Intuition

Lynch described intuition as the merging of intellect and emotion:
“I love intuition. Intuition is the intellect and emotions swimming together. It’s like a knowingness.”

Stay True to Your Voice

Don’t let external pressures alter your vision:
“Stay true to yourself, let your voice ring out, and don’t let anyone fiddle with it.”

Suffering Stifles Creativity

Creativity flourishes when your mind is in a good place. “The more you suffer, the less you want to create. If you’re truly depressed, they say you can’t even get out of bed, let alone create.”

Catching Ideas Takes Patience

Creativity is like fishing—you don’t see the ideas, but you sense them:
“The first idea is the most critical one. Then it’s like bait in fishing. If you focus on it, it’ll draw other ideas in.”

Build a Creative Setup

Having the right tools and space matters:
“It’s crucial to have a setup, so that, at any given moment, when you get an idea, you have the place and the tools to make it happen.”

Write Everything Down

Lynch was adamant about documenting ideas:
“Write down your ideas and save them. It’s very important.”

Structure Frees Creativity

Lynch believed daily routines create a foundation for exploration:
“Habit in the daily routine, when there’s order there, you’re free to mentally go off any place.”

Don’t Think About Money

Art should come from love, not career ambitions:
“You fall in love with ideas and you get fired up and you go and try to translate those ideas in cinema. It has nothing to do with any kind of career.”

Let the Past Color the Present

Memories and experiences inform new ideas:
“Even if they’re new ideas, the past colors them.”

Collaborators Help You Grow

Embrace the people who support your journey:
“Along the way, there are people who help us. You get that help because you’ve done something, so you have to keep doing it.”

Stay in the Flow

When you’re deep into a project, let it consume you:
“When you’re in the middle of something, it’s next to impossible to think about another film. You just want to finish this.”

Leave Time for Daydreaming

Daydreaming allows thoughts to flow and spark ideas:
“This is why daydreaming is so important to me. All the thoughts just flow.”

Keep Creating Despite Obstacles

Eraserhead took six years to finish with continual roadblocks and setbacks:
“Try to get a job that gives you some time. Get your sleep and a little bit of food. And work as much as you can.”

Titles Don’t Define You

Creativity isn’t about labels or boxes:
“People get pigeonholed all the time, but we have so many things in us.”

Be Selfish with Your Time

To truly create, you must prioritize your art:
“Artists have to be selfish. It’s not a sacrifice. It’s just the way it is.”

The world feels a little less magical without David Lynch in it. I’ll be having cappuccinos, red wine, and fishing for ideas in his remembrance.

“Never turn down a good idea, but never take a bad idea.” - David Lynch