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Natalie Goldberg

Natalie Goldberg Quotes

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Natalie Goldberg is an American author recognized for her work at the intersection of Zen Buddhism and creative writing. Born in 1948, she has authored several books that delve into the fusion of mindfulness and writing, with 'Writing Down the Bones' being particularly influential.

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Famous Natalie Goldberg Quotes

“Poetry is a dumb Buddha who thinks a donkey is as important as a diamond.”

Thinking Important Poetry Dumb Poetry Is Diamond Donkey

Book:Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life

Source: Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life

“The problem is we think we exist.”

Thinking Problem

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“We always worry that we are copying someone else, that we don't have our own style. Don't worry. Writing is a communal act. Contrary to popular belief, a writer is not Prometheus alone on a hill full of fire. We are very arrogant to think we alone have a totally original mind. We are carried on the backs of all the writers who came before us. We live in the present with all the history, ideas, and soda pop of this time. It all gets mixed up in our writing.”

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“That daydreaming seemed important at the time, but when I asked my teacher Katagiri Roshi about it, he said, "Oh, it's just laziness. Get to work." But as for discipline, I don't even use that word. I think more about passion or love. What I've really learned is the way the mind moves, and how the mind works. Rather than discipline, I know how to seduce my mind.”

Thinking Knows Way Mind Said Important Use Moving Passion Know How Teacher Discipline Laziness Daydreaming Seducing

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“Understand that writing is like an athletic activity. To play tennis well, you expect to keep practicing, but for some reason with writing, you think you should come out fresh the first time.”

Thinking Should Writing Firsts Wells Reason Play Activity First Time Tennis Athletic

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“If I didn't have that, fear and projections over what was coming next could have taken over. But it was tough. Don't think I was an angel. It was hell.”

Ifs Thinking Next Hell Taken Angel Tough Projection

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“I think book publishing is fun, but I also know I've been very lucky.”

Thinking Knows Book Fun Lucky Publishing Book Publishing

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“It's okay to embark on writing because you think it will get you love. At least it gets you going, but it doesn't last. After a while you realize that no one cares that much. Then you find another reason: money. You can dream on that one while the bills pile up. Then you think: "Well, I'm the sensitive type. I have to express myself." Do me a favor. Don't be so sensitive. Be tough. It will get you further along when you get rejected. Finally, you just do it because you happen to like it.”

Thinking Writing Wells Reason Dream Happens Care Lasts Realizing Type Tough Okay Bills Favors Sensitive Rejected Just Do It No One Cares

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“I remember a friend many years ago who had taped a sign to his refrigerator: There's a dream dreaming us. If you try to think about what that means it makes your mind silly, but that silliness is good.”

Ifs Thinking Trying Years Mind Mean Dream Remember Years Ago Silly Refrigerators Silliness

Book:Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life

Source: Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life

“The aim is to burn through to first thoughts, to the place where energy is unobstructed by social politeness or the internal censor, to the place where you are writing what you mind actually sees and feels, not what it thinks it should see or feel.”

Thinking Feels Should Writing Mind Firsts Energy Social Aim Internals Where You Are Politeness

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Too often we take notes on writing, we think about writing but never do it. I want you to walk into the heart of the storm, written words dripping off hair, eyelids, hanging from hands.”

Thinking Want Writing Heart Hands Walks Written Hair Notes Storm I Want You Written Word Dripping Eyelids

Book:Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir

Source: Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir

“I don't think everyone wants to create the great American novel, but we all have a dream of telling our stories-of realizing what we think, feel, and see before we die. Writing is a path to meet ourselves and become intimate.”

Thinking Want Feels Writing Stories Dream Dies Realizing Novel Path Intimate Great American

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“I think talent is like a water table under the earth—you tap it with your effort and it comes through you.”

Thinking Earth Water Effort Talent Tables

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Sometimes when you think you are done, it is just the edge of beginning. Probably that's why we decide we're done. It's getting too scary. We are touching down onto something real. It is beyond the point when you think you are done that often something strong comes out.”

Thinking Real Sometimes Done Strong Addiction Edges Scary Recovery Touching New Beginnings Something Real

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Actually, when I look at my old notebooks, I think I have been a bit self-indulgent and have given myself too much time to meander in my discursive thoughts. I could have cut through sooner. Yet it is good to know about our terrible selves, not laud or criticize them, just acknowledge them. Then, out of this knowledge, we are better equipped to make a choice for beauty, kind consideration and clear truth. We make this choice with our feet firmly on the ground. We are not running wildly after beauty with fear at our backs.”

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Creativity exists in the present moment. You can't find it anywhere else.”

Thinking Moments Creativity Present Moment

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“The positive thing about writing is that you connect with yourself in the deepest way. You get a chance to know who you are, to know what you think. You begin to have a relationship with your mind.”

Thinking Knows Way Writing Mind Chance Who You Are Positive Things

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“I used to think freedom meant doing whatever you want. It means knowing who you are, what you are supposed to be doing on this earth, and then simply doing it.”

Thinking Want Mean Earth Used Knowing Who You Are Supposed To Be Knowing Who You Are

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Wherein we discover that many of the "rules" for good writing and good sex are the same: Keep your hand moving, lose control, and don't think.”

Thinking Writing Hands Moving Sex Loses Observation Good Writing Good Sex

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“What writing practice, like Zen practice does is bring you back to the natural state of mind...The mind is raw, full of energy, alive and hungry. It does not think in the way we were brought up to think-well-mann ered, congenial.”

Thinking Way Writing Mind Wells Doe States Energy Natural Practice Alive Hungry State Of Mind

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“Women are wonderful, but they get so caught up about their body. We need to unhook from worrying so much. When I don't feel good, I look in the mirror and think I look fat and miserable. But when I feel good and whole, I'm not worried about my body because I'm living in it. It doesn't become an object.”

Thinking Needs Feels Looks Whole Body Worry Wonderful Objects Mirrors Caught Fats Feel Good Miserable Worried Caught Up I Feel Good

Author:Natalie Goldberg

About the Author

Born: 1948
Known for: Author
Quotes: 195

Related Topics

Writing Ifs Mind Thinking Practice Want Knows World Needs Way Book Feels Hands Stories Earth People Cancer Details Firsts Moments

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Books & Sources

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer WithinRelated source material

Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s LifeRelated source material

Thunder and Lightning: Cracking Open the Writer’s CraftRelated source material

Long Quiet Highway: Waking Up in AmericaRelated source material

Wild Mind: Living the Writer's LifeRelated source material

Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing MemoirRelated source material

The Great Failure: A Bartender, A Monk, and My Unlikely Path to TruthRelated source material

The Essential Writers Notebook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Better WritingRelated source material

The True Secret of Writing: Connecting Life with LanguageRelated source material

Thunder and Lightning: Cracking Open the Writer's CraftRelated source material

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