The real obstacle is oneself

I can only tell you what I know, and it isn't much. First you have to know and understand intellectualy what you want to do - then you have to sleepwalk a little to reach it. The real obstacle is oneself. I believe that artists are composed of vanity, indolence and self-regard. Work-blocks are caused by swelling-up of the ego on one or all of these fronts. You get a bit scared about the imaginary importance of what you are doing! Mirror worship. My solution would be to slap a poultice on the inflamed parts - tell your ego to go to hell and not make a misery of what should be essentially fun, joy.

Lawrence Durrell, "Clea", The Alexandria Quartet, Faber & Faber, 2009 (primeira publicação: 1960)