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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

“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

“I write because I am alone and move through the world alone. No one will know what has passed through me... I write because there are stories that people have forgotten to tell, because I am a woman trying to stand up in my life... I write out of hurt and how to make hurt okay; how to make myself strong and come home, and it may be the only real home I'll ever have.”

People Knows World Writing Trying May Real Stories Home Moving Strong Hurt Okay Forgotten Coming Home

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“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

“We have to accept ourselves in order to write. Now none of us does that fully: few of us do it even halfway. Don’t wait for one hundred percent acceptance of yourself before you write, or even eight percent acceptance. Just write. The process of writing is an activity that teaches us about acceptance.”

Writing Doe Order Waiting Process Accepting Teach Acceptance Activity Percent Hundred Eight Halfway

Book:Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life

Source: Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life

“Writers end up writing about their obsessions. Things that haunt them; things they can’t forget; stories they carry in their bodies waiting to be released.”

Writing Ends Stories Body Waiting Forget Obsession

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Take out another notebook, pick up another pen, and just write, just write, just write. In the middle of the world, make one positive step. In the center of chaos, make one definitive act. Just write. Say yes, stay alive, be awake. Just write. Just write. Just write.”

World Writing Steps Alive Middle Picks Chaos Awake Pens Notebook Staying Alive

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“As writers we live life twice, like a cow that eats its food once and then regurgitates it to chew and digest it again. We have a second chance at biting into our experience and examining it. ...This is our life and it's not going to last forever. There isn't time to talk about someday writing that short story or poem or novel. Slow down now, touch what is around you, and out of care and compassion for each moment and detail, put pen to paper and begin to write.”

Writing Moments Stories Care Lasts Chance Compassion Novel Forever Our Lives Paper Details Live Life Someday Pens Short Story Cows Slow Down Second Chance Examining Biting

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“Writing is the act of discovery.”

Writing Discovery

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you.”

Ifs Writing Book Good Book Good Writers

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“The muscles of writing are not so visible, but they are just as powerful: determination, attention, curiosity, a passionate heart.”

Writing Heart Powerful Attention Determination Curiosity Passionate Visible Muscles Creative Writing

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

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

“Whether you're keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it's the same thing. What's important is you're having a relationship with your mind.”

Writing Mind Important Meditation Journal What's Important Keeping A Journal

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“That's very nice if they want to publish you, but don't pay too much attention to it. It will toss you away. Just continue to write.”

Ifs Want Writing Pay Attention Too Much Nice Publishing Publish Very Nice Toss

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“This is the practice school of writing. Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Some days you don't want to run and you resist every step of the three miles, but you do it anyway. You practice whether you want to or not. You don't wait around for inspiration and a deep desire to run ... That's how writing is too ... One of the main aims in writing practice is to learn to trust your own mind and body; to grow patient and nonaggressive.”

Want Writing Mind Body Inspiration Running School Desire Three Grows Waiting Steps Practice Aim Patient Miles Mind And Body Every Step Deep Desire

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Wait until you are hungry to say something, until there is an aching in you to speak.”

Writing Speak Waiting Hungry

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“One poem or story doesn't matter one way or the other. It's the process of writing and life that matters.”

Way Inspirational Writing Matter Stories Process One Way

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“It is odd that we never question the feasibility of a football team practicing long hours for one game; yet in writing we rarely give ourselves the space for practice.”

Giving Writing Long Games Hours Space Practice Team Football Odd Football Team Long Hours Feasibility

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“I am free to write the worst junk in the world.”

World Writing Worst Junk

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Writing is not a McDonald's Hamburger.”

Writing Mcdonalds Hamburgers

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Finally, one just has to shut up, sit down, and write.”

Writing Down And Shut Up

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“When we write we begin to taste the texture of our own mind”

Writing Mind Taste Texture

Book:Long Quiet Highway: Waking Up in America

Source: Long Quiet Highway: Waking Up in America

“Once you have learned to trust your own voice and allowed that creative force inside you to come out, you can direct it to write short stories, novels, and poetry, do revisions, and so on. You have the basic tool to fulfill your writing dreams. But beware. This type of writing will uncover other dreams you have, too-going to Tibet, being the first woman president of the United States, building a solar studio in New Mexico-and they will be in black and white. It will be harder to avoid them.”

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Kill the idea of the lone, suffering artist. Don't make it any harder on yourself.”

Writing Ideas Artist Suffering Harder Lone

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Use original detail in your writing. Life is so rich, if you can write down the real details of the way things were and are, you hardly need anything else.”

Ifs Way Needs Writing Real Use Life Is Rich Originals Details Writing Life

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“I often wonder if all the writers who are alcoholics drink a lot because they aren't writing. It is not because they are writers that they are drinking, but because they are writers who are not writing.”

Ifs Writing Wonder Drink Drinking Alcoholics

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

“The correctness and quality of what you write do not matter; the act of writing does.”

Writing Doe Matter Quality Correctness

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“We have to look at our own inertia, insecurities, self-hate, fear that, in truth, we have nothing valuable to say. When your writing blooms out of the back of this garbage compost, it is very stable. You are not running from anything. You can have a sense of artistic security. If you are not afraid of the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you.”

Ifs Writing Looks Self Running Hate Voice Security Critics Valuable Artistic Insecurity Not Afraid Stable Garbage Inertia Self Hate Compost

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“Finally, if you want to write, you have to just shut up, pick up a pen, and do it. I'm sorry there are no true excuses. This is our life. Step forward. Maybe it's only for ten minutes. That's okay. To write feels better than all the excuses.”

Ifs Want Feels Writing Steps Our Lives Minutes Ten Picks Okay Sorry Excuse Pens Feel Better Shut Up I'm Sorry Steps Forward

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Have compassion for yourself when you write. There is no failure - just a big field to wander in.”

Writing Bigs Compassion Fields Wander No Failure Compassion For Yourself

Book:Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life

Source: Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life

“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

“In writing practice, there's no direction. You enter your own mind and follow it where it takes you. We have a great need to connect with our own mind and our own true self. And all of us have a story to tell.”

Needs Writing Mind Self Stories Healing Practice True Self

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“I feel very rich when I have time to write and very poor when I get a regular paycheck and no time at my real work.”

Feels Writing Real Poor Rich Paychecks Real Work

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“It’s much better to be a tribal writer, writing for all people and reflecting many voices through us, than to be a cloistered being trying to find one peanut of truth in our own individual mind. Become big and write with the whole world in your arms.”

People World Writing Trying Mind Whole Bigs Individual Voice Arms Whole World Reflecting Peanuts

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Learning to write is not a linear process. There is no logical A-to-B-to-C way to become a good writer. One neat truth about writing cannot answer it all. There are many truths. To do writing practice means to deal ultimately with your whole life.”

Way Writing Mean Whole Process Answers Deals Practice Whole Life Logical Neat Linear Good Writers

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“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

“I consider writing practice a true Zen practice because it all comes back at you. You can't fool anyone because it's on the page.”

Writing Practice Fool Pages

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“If you feel bored or uncomfortable as you're writing, ask yourself what's bothering you and write about that. Sometimes your creative energy is like water in a kinked hose, and before thoughts can flow on the topic at hand, you have to straighten the hose by attending to whatever is preoccupying you.”

Ifs Feels Writing Sometimes Hands Asks Energy Water Creative Flow Bored Bother Uncomfortable Topics Attending Creative Energy Bothering You

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“There's no such thing as a writer's block. If you're having trouble writing, well, pick up the pen and write. No matter what, keep that hand moving. Writing is really a physical activity.”

Ifs Writing Wells Matter Hands Moving Trouble Activity Picks No Matter What Block Pens Writer's Block Physical Activity Writing Well

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“When you write what you know, you stay in control. One of the first things I encourage my writing students to do is to lose control - say what they want to say, break structure.”

Knows Want Writing Firsts Loses Break Students Structure

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“Choose your tools carefully, but not so carefully that you get uptight or spend more time at the stationery store than at your writing table.”

Writing Tools Tables Stores More Time Uptight Stationery

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“Tulips come up in spring for no reason. Of course, you planted bulbs and now in April the earth warms up. But why? For no reason except gravity. Why gravity? For no reason. And why did you plant red tulip bulbs to begin with? For beauty, which is itself and has no reason. So the world is empty. Things rise and fall for no reason. And what a great opportunity that is! You can start writing again at any minute. Let go of all your failures and sit down and write something great. Or write something terrible and feel great about it.”

World Feels Writing Reason Earth Fall Courses Opportunity Minutes Terrible Letting Go Spring Red Empty Down And Plant Come Up No Reason Gravity April Great Opportunity Bulbs Rise And Fall

Author:Natalie Goldberg

“When you are not writing, you are a writer too. It doesn't leave you.”

Book:Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

Source: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

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

Popular Topics

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

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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