At 84 years old, Laura Wilson could run circles around most of us. She throws herself into her creative projects — which often take years to complete — with high energy and optimism. She moves quickly, never dallying when pursuing her creative work (a missed opportunity to photograph John Updike still stings). And her work reveals the humanity and stories behind individuals, communities, and events that we rarely see -- cockfighting, cowboys, drug smuggling searches, debutantes, world-famous authors, and reclusive religious groups. In our conversation, we talk about working with famed photographer Richard Avedon, the keys to her decades-long career, and her induction into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame (at age 79).

Takeaways

• Hardwork and discipline are as essential to the creative process as creativity and imagination.
• To complete a project, you must have a laser-like focus and obsession.
• If you have a creative idea, don’t dilly dally. You must move quickly and decisively or you may miss your opportunity.
• Pay attention and stay alert so you can capture creative moments.

Resources

Laura Wilson

Richard Avedon

The Amon Carter Museum of Art

The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame

Eudora Welty

Meadows Museum

Tim O’Brien

Tobias Wolf

Cormac McCarthy

Tom Stoppard

Carlos Fuentes

Marvin Israel