““In other words, if Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy showed more than their fair share of pathology it was due less to the requirements of their creative work than to the personal sufferings caused by the unhealthy conditions of a Russian society nearing collapse. If so many American poets and playwrights committed suicide or ended up addicted to drugs and alcohol it was not their creativity that did it but an artistic scene that promised much, gave few rewards and left nine out of ten artists neglected if not ignored.””
![“I see this quality [real interest and joy] in the work of [Pavel] Chekhov, of course, and [Alexei] Tolstoy and really just about any great writer.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/df2/george-saunders-317_chekhov_i-see-this-quality-real-interest-and-joy_1147729.jpg)
![“If [people] place such things as friendship and family ties above their own productive work, yes, then they are immoral. Friendship, family life and human relationships are not primary in a man's life. A man who places others first, above his own creative work, is an emotional parasite.” quote by Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/644/ayn-rand-59_creative_if-people-place-such-things-as-friendshi_53834.jpg)
![“We pride ourselves at Natrona - I mean, pride {ironically] - on developing a noncompetitive community. That's very important. The values that can come from that kind of meditative work combined with the creative work you do, combined with your activism, can come together.” quote by Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/392/anne-waldman-4046_activism_we-pride-ourselves-at-natrona-i-mean-pri_100312.jpg)
