Neil Gaiman at the University of the Arts, 2012
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"When things get tough, this is what you should do.
Make good art."
Neil Gaiman, the U.K.-born author of "Coraline" and "American Gods" among other works of literature, didn't go to college, let alone graduate from one. Instead, Gaiman, a self-described "feral child who was raised in libraries," engineered his own education as a writer [source: Gaiman].
Gaiman cautioned graduates that life could -- and would -- go wrong, and therein lay the best experiences.
He also gave some very practical advice on staying employed:
Life, Gaiman noted, is about making good art, no matter the disappointments -- or successes -- along the way. It turns out his commencement address was good art, too. It was published in book form just one year later [source: The University of the Arts].
