Home / Authors / Brenda Ueland

Brenda Ueland

Brenda Ueland Quotes

Journalist

Brenda Ueland was an American journalist and writer, born on October 24, 1891, and died on March 5, 1985. She is known for her unique writing style and profound insights into writing, particularly for her book 'How to Write'.

Filter quotes by topic

All Writing Thinking People Ifs Knows Listening Creative Self Trying Children

Famous Brenda Ueland Quotes

“Even if I knew for certain that I would never have anything published again, and would never make another cent from it, I would still keep on writing.”

Ifs Writing Art Stills Certain Creativity Cents

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“I learned that you should feel when writing, not like Lord Byron on a mountain top, but like child stringing beads in kindergarten, - happy, absorbed and quietly putting one bead on after another.”

Feels Should Writing Children Joy Lord Creativity Mountain Kindergarten Beads Mountain Top Byron

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“The imagination needs moodling,--long, inefficient happy idling, dawdling and puttering.”

Needs Long Happiness Imagination Creativity My Imagination Imagination And Creativity

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“We have come to think that duty should come first. I disagree. Duty should be a by-product. Writing, the creative effort, the use of the imagination, should come first – at least, for some part of every day of your life. It is a wonderful blessing if you use it. You will become happier, more enlightened, alive, impassioned, light-hearted and generous to everybody else. Even your health will improve. Colds will disappear and all the other ailments of discouragement and boredom.”

Source: If You Want to Write

“No writing is a waste of time – no creative work where the feelings, the imagination, the intelligence must work. With every sentence you write, you have learned something. It has done you good.”

Writing Done Feelings Imagination Creative Waste Sentences Wasting Time Creative Work

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Creative power flourishes only when I am living in the present.”

Creative Live In The Present Creative Power

Author:Brenda Ueland

“The only way to write well, so that people believe what we say and are interested or touched by it, is to slough off all pretentiousness and attitudinizing.”

People Way Writing Believe Wells Touched Pretentiousness Slough

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“I learned...that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.”

Giving Littles Doe Inspiration Imagination Chance Creativity Solitude Creating Strive Intuition Prime Idleness Energetic Bolts

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Everybody is original, if he tells the truth, if he speaks from himself. But it must be from his *true* self and not from the self he thinks he *should* be.”

Ifs Thinking Should Self Speak Originals Telling The Truth True Self

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“The only good teachers for you are those friends who love you, who think you are interesting, or very important, or wonderfully funny; whose attitude is: "Tell me more. Tell me all you can. I want to understand more about everything you feel and know and all the changes inside and out of you. Let more come out." And if you have no such friend,--and you want to write,--well, then you must imagine one.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Want Feels Writing Wells Important Interesting Attitude Teacher Imagine Love You Good Teacher

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Of course, in fairness, I must remind you of this: that we writers are the most lily-livered of all craftsmen. We expect more, for the most peewee efforts, than any other people.”

People Courses Effort Fairness Lilies Craftsman

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Work freely and rollickingly as though you were talking to a friend who loves you. Mentally (at least three or four times a day) thumb your nose at all know-it-alls, jeerers, critics, doubters.”

Knows Three Talking Four Love You Critics Noses Thumbs Know It All Doubters

Author:Brenda Ueland

“...at last I understood that writing was this: an impulse to share with other people a feeling or truth that I myself had.”

People Writing Feelings Lasts Share Understood Impulse

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“...writing is not a performance but a generosity.”

Writing Performances Generosity

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“But the great artists like Michelangelo and Blake and Tolstoi--like Christ whom Blake called an artist because he had one of the most creative imaginations that ever was on earth--do not want security, egoistic or materialistic. Why, it never occurs to them. "Be not anxious for the morrow," and "which of you being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?" So they dare to be idle, i.e. not to be pressed and duty-driven all the time. They dare to love people even when they are very bad, and they dare not to try and dominate others to show them what they must do for their own good.”

“I found that many gifted people are so afraid of writing a poor story that they cannot summon the nerve to write a single sentence for months. The thing to say to such people is: "See how *bad* a story you can write. See how dull you can be. Go ahead. That would be fun and interesting. I will give you ten dollars if you can write something thoroughly dull from beginning to end!" And of course, no one can.”

People Ifs Giving Writing Ends Stories Would Be Courses Found Fun Interesting Poor Months Ten Dollars Sentences Dull Nerves Gifted Single Sentence

Author:Brenda Ueland

“Remember William Blake who said: "Improvement makes straight, straight roads, but the crooked roads without improvement are roads of genius." The truth is, life itself, is always startling, strange, unexpected. But when the truth is told about it everybody knows at once that it is life itself and not made up. But in ordinary fiction, movies, etc, everything is smoothed out to seem plausible--villains made bad, heroes splendid, heroines glamorous, and so on, so that no one believes a word”

Knows Believe Made Said Seems Remember Fiction Strange Genius Hero Truth Is Ordinary Improvement Unexpected Etc Villain Splendid Glamorous Crooked Heroines Plausible Blake

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Everyone knows how people who laugh easily create us by their laughter,--making us think of funnier and funnier things.”

People Thinking Knows Laughing Know How Laughter

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Don't always be appraising yourself, wondering if you are better or worse than other writers. "I will not Reason and Compare," said Blake; "my business is to Create." Besides, since you are like no other being ever created since the beginning of Time, you are incomparable.”

Ifs Said Reason Wonder Compare Comparison Blake Incomparable

Author:Brenda Ueland

“If I did not wear torn pants, orthopedic shoes, frantic disheveled hair, that is to say, if I did not tone down my beauty, people would go mad. Married men would run amuck.”

People Ifs Men Running Hair Married Mad Shoes Tone Pants Torn Frantic Married Man Orthopedics

Book:Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

Source: Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

“Everybody is talented because everybody who is human has something to express.”

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“There is that American pastime known as "kidding" - with the result that everyone is ashamed and hangdog about showing the slightest enthusiasm or passion or sincere feeling about anything.”

Feelings Passion Results Known Enthusiasm Ashamed Sincere Pastime

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Inspiration does not come like a blot, nor is it kinetic energy striving, but it comes to us slowly and quietly all the time.”

Doe Inspiration Time Energy Strive Kinetic Energy

Author:Brenda Ueland

“Since you are like no other being ever created since the beginning of time, you are incomparable.”

Inspirational Acceptance Unique Individuality Uniqueness Incomparable

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“We start out in our lives as little children, full of light and the clearest vision.”

Children Littles Light Vision Our Lives

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Why should we all use our creative power....? Because there is nothing that makes people so generous, joyful, lively, bold and compassionate, so indifferent to fighting and the accumulation of objects and money.”

People Should Art Use Joy Fighting Compassion Creative Objects Generous Compassionate Joyful Indifferent Accumulation Lively Creative Power

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“It is so conceited and timid to be ashamed of one's mistakes. Of course they are mistakes. Go on to the next.”

Art Courses Next Mistake Goes On Letting Go Ashamed Conceited

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Advertising companies hire the very brightest, wittiest young people to write for them. Not one single sentence of it is worth repeating. Why? Because it wasn't meant.”

People Writing Young Company Sentences Advertising Single Sentence Wittiest

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Be bold, free, and truthful.”

Truth Freedom Truthful

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“In true courage there is always an element of choice, of an ethical choice, and of anguish, and also of action and deed. There is always a flame of spirit in it, a vision of some necessity higher than oneself.”

Inspirational Action Spirit Choices Vision Higher Elements Bravery Oneself Deeds Flames Ethical Anguish True Courage

Book:Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

Source: Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

“We are always afraid to start something that we want to make very good, true, and serious.”

Want Life Inspirational Truth Fear Serious Very Good

Book:Me

Source: Me

“It is only by expressing all that is inside that purer and purer streams come.”

Creativity Streams

Book:Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

Source: Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. When we really listen to people there is an alternating current, and this recharges us so that we never get tired of each other. We are constantly being re-created.”

People Force Creative Strange Listening Tired Currents Strange Things Nonviolent Communication Magnetic Listening To Others

Book:Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

Source: Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

“Know that it is good to work. Work with love, and think of liking it when you do it. It is easy and interesting. It is a privilege. There is nothing hard about it but your anxious vanity and fear of failure.”

Thinking Knows Love Hard Passion Easy Work Interesting Privilege Vanity Anxious Fear Of Failure

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Now before going to a party, I just tell myself to listen with affection to anyone who talks to me... to try to know them without my mind pressing against theirs, or arguing or changing the subject. No. My attitude is: "Tell me more. This person is showing me his soul. It is a little dry and meager and full of grinding talk just now, but presently he will begin to think, not just automatically to talk. He will show his true self. Then he will be wonderfully alive."”

Source: Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

“I want to write about the great and powerful thing that listening is. And how we forget it. And how we don't listen to our children, or those we love. And least of all - which is so important, too - to those we do not love. But we should. Because listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force...When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand. Ideas actually begin to grow within us and come to life.”

Want Should Writing Children Important Ideas Force Grows Forget Powerful Creative Strange Listening Our Children Forget It Strange Things Magnetic Those We Love

Author:Brenda Ueland

“Creative listeners are those who want you to be recklessly yourself, even at your very worst, even vituperative, bad-tempered. They are laughing and just delighted with any manifestation of yourself, bad or good. For true listeners know that if you are bad-tempered it does not mean that you are always so. They don't love you just when you are nice; they love all of you.”

Ifs Knows Want Mean Doe Laughing Creative Nice Worst Love You Listening Manifestation Listeners Delighted

Author:Brenda Ueland

“Who are the people, for example, to whom you go for advice? Not to the hard, practical ones who can tell you exactly what to do, but to the listeners; that is, the kindest, least censorious, least bossy people you know. It is because by pouring out your problem to them, you then know what to do about it yourself.”

People Knows Hard Problem Advice Example Listening Practicals Listeners Pouring Bossy

Book:Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

Source: Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

“You know, I have come to think listening is love, that's what it really is.”

Thinking Knows Listening

Book:Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

Source: Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings

“We should all know this: that listening, not talking, is the gifted and great role, and the imaginative role.”

Knows Should Talking Roles Listening Gifted Imaginative Not Talking

Author:Brenda Ueland

“And the true listener is much more beloved, magnetic than the talker, and he is more effective and learns more and does more good”

Doe Listening Beloved Listeners Magnetic Talkers

Author:Brenda Ueland

“We should all know this: that listening is not talking; [it] is the gifted and great role and the imaginative role. And the true listener is much more beloved, magnetic than the talker, and he is more effective, and learns more and does more good. And so try listening. Listen to your wife, your husband, your father, your mother, your children, your friends; to those who love you and those who don't, to those who bore you, to your enemies. It will work a small miracle. And perhaps a great one.”

“All children have creative power.”

Children Power Creative Creative Power

Author:Brenda Ueland

“I will tell you what I have learned myself. For me, a long five or six mile walk helps. And one must go alone and every day.”

Long Helping Walks Creativity Five Six Miles I Have Learned

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“If you are never satisfied with what you write, that is a good sign. It means that your vision can see so far that it's hard to come up to it. Again I say - the only unfortunate people are the glib ones, immediately satisfied with their work. To them, the ocean is only knee-deep.”

People Ifs Writing Mean Hard Vision Ocean Come Up Satisfied Knees Unfortunate

Author:Brenda Ueland

“The only way to love a person is...by listening to them and seeing and believing in the god, in the poet, in them. For by doing this, you keep the god and the poet alive and make it flourish.”

Way Believe Persons Alive Seeing Poet Listening

Author:Brenda Ueland

“The true self is always in motion like music, a river of life, changing, moving, failing, suffering, learning, shining. That is why you must freely and recklessly make new mistakes - in writing or in life - and do not fret about them but pass on and write more.”

Writing Self Moving Suffering Mistake Failing Rivers Shining Life Changing True Self

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“Families are great murderers of the creative impulsive, particularly husbands.”

Creative Husband Murderer Impulsive

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“The best way to know the Truth or Beauty is to try to express it.”

Knows Way Trying Best Way

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

“The only good teachers for you are those friends who love you, who think you are interesting, or very important, or wonderfully funny.”

Thinking Important Interesting Teacher Love You Good Teacher

Book:If You Want to Write

Source: If You Want to Write

About the Author

Born: October 24, 1891
Died: March 5, 1985
Known for: Journalist
Quotes: 113

Related Topics

Writing Thinking People Ifs Knows Listening Creative Self Trying Children

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

If You Want to WriteRelated source material

Strength to Your Sword Arm: Selected WritingsRelated source material

MeRelated source material

If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and SpiritRelated source material

Me: A MemoirRelated source material

Similar Authors

George SaundersBrowse related quotes
Joyce Carol OatesBrowse related quotes
Anne LamottBrowse related quotes
Stephen KingBrowse related quotes
Sandra CisnerosBrowse related quotes
Taylor SwiftBrowse related quotes
Chuck KlostermanBrowse related quotes
Fran LebowitzBrowse related quotes
William ZinsserBrowse related quotes
Salman RushdieBrowse related quotes