If you dedicate your attention to discipline in your life you become smarter while you are writing than while you are hanging out with your pals or in any other line of work.
I think the best pictures are often on the edges of any situation, I don't find photographing the situation nearly as interesting as photographing the edges.
I have always had school sickness, as others have seasickness. I cried when it was time to go back to school long after I was old enough to be ashamed of such behavior.