1. Is there anyone else who can do this better than I can?
That’s just another way of saying: Know yourself, and know your competition. If your competition is better than you are, you need to offer some quality they lack.
2. What am I pretending not to see?
We can all get swept up in the euphoria of a creative moment, or what former president Richard Nixon’s speechwriters used to call the lift of a dream. Before the dream lifts you into the clouds, make sure you’ve looked hard at the facts on the ground.