Yes, skills, hard work and judgment do , to a large extent, determine luck. But also important are our connections, our relationships, the people we interact with, the people we believe in and who believe in us. They will be the source of the major opportunities that come our way in life.

As artists, we need be careful that we don’t retreat too far into our own little world. Our tendency can be toward solitude, toward daydreaming and nurturing the company of our own mind. I’m definitely in that category. Like us all, I do need some human contact, some friends, but I need to be alone most of the time with my imagination. I’m not particularly tolerant of the common foibles of humans, including my own. I rub a lot of people the wrong way. Many don’t understand my sense of humor.

But living a creative life on your own terms, living your own values in your own way, is definitely made easier if you build strong connections with others. I don’t mean this in a way where you use others, or manipulate others. I mean find people you like and respect and then figure out ways to make their path a little easier.

We want to be associated with people of integrity, with people who won’t let us down. These are the people we recommend to others. Most luck beyond that generated by skills, hard work and good judgment will come from opportunities presented to you by others. As creative outsiders, we need to exist within networks of like-minded individuals, and we need to add to those networks, and make them stronger by our presence and participation. That generates what is called luck. The people and networks we make stronger will generate opportunities for us and thus make it easier for us live on our own terms, in our own way. Opportunities presented to us by those we respect and who care about us make it easier for us to live in our imagination, and thus maximize our creative contribution.