Just about had to pull my car over listening to the Tim Ferriss podcast when Brandon Sanderson said this in response to a question about when the story isn’t working:

One important mindset that is kind of a ground rule is remembering, as a writer, that the piece of art is not necessarily just the story you’re creating, that you are the piece of art. The time you spend writing is improving you as a writer and that is the most important thing. The book is almost a side product, not really, but it almost is to the fact that you are the art and if you know that, it helps a lot.

::Mind blown emoji:: The whole 2+ hours is worth a listen.