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Imagine What You'll Know Tomorrow

Neil Gaiman Gives A Commencement Speech I Wish I’d Heard Ten Years Ago

by Jill Pantozzi | 5:45 pm, May 18th, 2012


Author Neil Gaiman recently gave the Commencement Address to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia chock-full of advice for aspiring artists of all kinds. He started his speech by admitting he never continued on to higher education and then talked about he simply started writing, wrote some more, and never stopped. Hit the jump to watch the speech in its entirety and find out why I’ll be directing aspiring writers to it in the future. 

It’s about twenty minutes long but is totally worth it. Some of the highlights? Gaiman mentions a list he wrote at the age of 15 of all the things he wanted to do, which just happened to include “write an episode of Doctor Who.”

Done and done.

“Everything I could think of that someone starting out on a career in the arts right now might need to know,” he wrote on is blog. And I think he succeeded. From now on, when people ask my advice about being a writer (or any kind of artist for that matter), I’m going to send them this video. Seriously, everything he says is true, especially the part about success.

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  • Anonymous

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  • http://twitter.com/TechnoMistress Lisa Liscoumb

    Wow.  Just…wow.  Definitely worth watching, and very good advice.  Time for me to start making good art.

  • Anonymous

    Ms Pantozzi,

    Would you like to be a writer someday?  Try this:  It’s about twenty minutes long but it is worth it, rather than “It’s about twenty minutes long but it is totally worth it.”  Makes you sound more like a writer and less like a valley girl.  Good luck. 

  • John Wao

    Great speech. Thanks for posting that video Jill it was totally awesome.

  • http://www.thenerdybird.com/ Jill Pantozzi

    Aw, you’re adorable. Thanks for reading!

  • Anonymous

    Don’t get me started on exclamation points. 

  • http://www.thenerdybird.com/ Jill Pantozzi

    Ok, I won’t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    Jill,

    (Can I call you Jill?)

    Ms Pantozzi,

    I need to and want to apologize.  It was very small of me — I’m tempted to say “totally” small of me, but I just can’t do it — to jump on you for using the ubiquitous and excrutiatingly annoying adverb in your otherwise well-written short piece on Neil Gaiman.  Very small of me, and I feel like a heel for having done so.  I am a heel.  (Not an easy habit to break.)

    If you can forgive me for my unsolicited and uncalled-for curmudgeonliness then I can certainly overlook your adverbial dependencies.  I’ve read up on you and find you a . . .  how can I put this? – a totally interesting, talented, and appealing young woman, your boobs notwithstanding.

    Peace and best wishes from El Paso.

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