The first thing is how awful cancer was, the experience. When you first go through it, you're just trying to survive. But when I wrote about it, I really digested it. It was unbearable but I had practice behind me. Natalie Goldberg More Quotes by Natalie Goldberg More Quotes From Natalie Goldberg There is no security, no assurance that because we wrote something good two months ago, we will do it again. Actually, every time we begin, we wonder how we ever did it before. Natalie Goldberg months wonder two Over and over, we have to go back to the beginning. We should not be ashamed of this. It is good. It's like drinking water. Natalie Goldberg should drinking water Can we walk that thin line between constant change and continuation? And in the middle of this flux, feel gratitude but not hold on? Gratitude greases the joints to let us let go, and at the same time to stop and realize we received something. Gratitude is the most developed and mature of human emotions. Natalie Goldberg grease gratitude letting-go I think talent is like a water table under the earth—you tap it with your effort and it comes through you. Natalie Goldberg effort water thinking Kill the idea of the lone, suffering artist. Don't make it any harder on yourself. Natalie Goldberg artist writing ideas Don't let yourself be thrown away....Continue on no matter what....Continue to make a positive effort for the good. Natalie Goldberg effort swagger matter The difference between neurosis and wisdom is struggle. Natalie Goldberg neurosis differences struggle 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. Natalie Goldberg black-and-white dream writing And we can't avoid an inch of our own experience; if we do it causes a blur, a bleep, a puffy unreality. Our job is to wake up to everything, because if we slow down enough, we see that we are everything. Natalie Goldberg causes wisdom jobs 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. Natalie Goldberg notebook cutting running 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. Natalie Goldberg mind writing thinking So writing is not just writing. It is also having a relationship with other writers. And don't be jealous, especially secretly. That's the worst kind. If someone writes something great, it's just more clarity in the world for all of us. Natalie Goldberg jealous writing world I hear people say they're going to write. I ask, when? They give me vague statements. Indefinite plans get dubious results. When we're concrete about our writing time, it alleviates that thin constant feeling of anxiety that writers have - we're barbecuing hot dogs, riding a bike, sailing out in the bay, shopping for shoes, even helping a sick friend, but somewhere nervously at the periphery of our perception we know we belong somewhere else - at our desk! Natalie Goldberg dog somewhere-else writing 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. Natalie Goldberg voice writing people We shouldn't forget that the universe moves with us, is at our back with everything we do. Natalie Goldberg universe forget moving 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. Natalie Goldberg rich real writing Read books. They are good for us. Natalie Goldberg library book [T]he one thing I want for you is to recognize when you are really singing in writing practice and honor that. Trust that. When you were screaming on the page. Maybe that doesn't make a whole book but that is the true seed. Natalie Goldberg practice writing book First thoughts have tremendous energy. The internal censor usually squelches them, so we live in the realm of second and third thoughts, thoughts on thought, twice and three times removed from the direct connection of the first fresh flash. Natalie Goldberg connections three energy First, consider the pen you write with. It should be a fast-writing pen because your thoughts are always much faster than your hand. You don't want to slow up your hand even more with a slow pen. A ballpoint, a pencil, a felt tip, for sure, are slow. Go to a stationery store and see what feels good to you. Try out different kinds. Don't get too fancy and expensive. I mostly use a cheap Sheaffer fountain pen, about $1.95.... You want to be able to feel the connection and texture of the pen on paper. Natalie Goldberg feel-good writing hands
