There are a couple of animation studios that I consider to be the best in their field. One is Studio Ghibli, and the other is Pixar. So when Pixar's (former) Story Artist lays down some rules for great storytelling, people should pay attention.
Although I enjoyed the entire list, two rules in particular struck me as useful for any sort of creative work:
11. “Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.”
-and-
17. “No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.”
