solitude of creating

"I realized that if writing was going to take me away from my boys or my husband, then I wanted to find the joy and happiness in life and find ways to record that in my poems." 

— Aimee Nezhukumatathil

for Creatives  |  writing, poetry, solitude of creating, artists must EXPERIENCE, Aimee Nezhukumatathil

"The ongoing professionalization of writing, an outcome of our neoliberal moment, has acted centrifugally on writers, clotting them together in ways that are unprecedented.  I tend to spend more time with readers.  What truly enriches my creative life are folks who do anything other than writing. ... And books, of course.  I don't need much else to inspire me as long as I have books."

— Junot Díaz

for Creatives  |  reading, books, writing, solitude of creating, inspiration/the muse, writer-reader relationship, the creative life, Junot Díaz

"It just felt great.  I loved the way [photography] offered the possibility to document life and freeze time.  I also liked that it could be a completely independent art form—sometimes it's just me and my camera."

— Ren Rox

for Creatives  |  photography, create for YOURSELF, solitude of creating, value the art, Ren Rox

"The creation of a book is such a private and solitary process, and in so many ways is simply irretrievable—a writer can so very rarely specify exactly what was going on for him or her when s/he was writing a particular passage or scene. This is part of why the fun of writing and reading never goes away, because you can just never get to the bottom of it."

— Nellie Hermann

for Creatives  |  reading, creative process, magic/mystery of creating/art, novel writing, writing, solitude of creating, Nellie Hermann

"Vision needs solitude. Leadership needs solitude. Courage needs solitude. Because when our choices evolve from an internal place of sure-footed, rooted knowing, we become resilient, emboldened, and focused."

— Elle Luna

for Creatives  |  artist integrity, solitude of creating, protect the art, Elle Luna

"Set goals and don't waste time waiting for other people to help you meet them."

— Meredith Wild

for Creatives  |  the successful artist, writing, solitude of creating, Meredith Wild

"Avoid cliques, gangs, groups. The presence of a crowd won't make your writing any better than it is."

— Zadie Smith (art by Dan Meyer)

for Creatives  |  artist integrity, writing, solitude of creating, Zadie Smith, Dan Meyer

"Readings are social events.  I think poetry is written in isolation and is best understood in isolation.  I want readers; I don't want listeners."

— Dean Young

for Creatives  |  reading, writing, poetry, solitude of creating, reaching your audience, writer-reader relationship, Dean Young

"People like big stories.  You get unmatched bang for the buck writing stories.  The bang in this case is being able to plant a big universe and a lot of powerful images inside a reader's head.  The buck in this case is that there's one person working alone without needing any special tools.  That's not going to change.  They may be delivered in different ways, on e-readers or whatever, but they will be around for a long time."

— Neal Stephenson

for Creatives  |  writing, solitude of creating, writer-reader relationship, storytelling, value the art, Neal Stephenson

"Read everything but write on your own.  And if you have a mentor, learn what you can then run like hell."

— Dorthe Nors

for Creatives  |  reading, creative process, writing, solitude of creating, writing groups, Dorthe Nors

"It is such a hard thing to write a book.  It is incredibly hard.  And it's a solitary, isolated thing to do.  And writers need every ounce of support they can get."

— Heidi Pitlor

for Creatives  |  creating isn't easy, novel writing, writing, solitude of creating, Heidi Pitlor

"What one writer can make in the solitude of one room is something no power can easily destroy."

— Salman Rushdie

for Creatives  |  writing, solitude of creating, value the art, Salman Rushdie

"I've always preferred an auteur approach and not a committee approach. Nothing wrong with it—nothing wrong with a committee—but it doesn't interest me. I like to have the ideas.  Nothing excites me as much as an idea popping in my head.  It's the only thing left that gives me an adrenaline rush. This is my extreme sport."

— Ricky Gervais

for Creatives  |  create for YOURSELF, solitude of creating, Ricky Gervais, ideas

"I wish all writers realized that agents, publishers, book doctors, vanity presses, and how-to seminars, have a cost attached to them—sometimes a very high cost—with zero guarantees. You can be a writer, and have writer be a part of your identity, without any of them."

— J.A. Konrath

for Creatives  |  J.A. Konrath, the successful artist, writing, solitude of creating, publishing, writing groups, editors, agents

"It's like it's all inside me just kind of trying to get out.  If I talk about it, it diffuses it, lets it out, and then maybe it wouldn't be as clear to me, or the characters wouldn't jump out of the page.  The dialogue wouldn't just jump out if I talked about it with people and they said, 'Oh yeah, that part's good, that part's...'  It's better for me to just keep it all bottled up and let the pressure build."

— Louis Sachar

for Creatives  |  magic/mystery of creating/art, writing, solitude of creating, protect the art, Louis Sachar

"Dubus frowns on writers' groups, believing they lead members astray from the work at hand.  His father told him that a novelist is like a whale submerged in the ocean.  You're down there alone, and you're supposed to be down there alone.  'It makes us face our own mortality,' he says.  'Working alone on a 300-to-400-page project for five years all by yourself brings you right to the starkness of coming into the world alone and leaving alone, as we all do.'"

— Robert G. Pushkar

for Creatives  |  Andre Dubus III, novel writing, writing, solitude of creating, Robert G. Pushkar, writing groups

"You've got to protect your voice and your vision from everybody, really.  Even the best-intentioned editors.  And I mean, I love my editor; I've been with Vicky Wilson for over 35 years.  She's wonderful, and her remarks on the finished manuscript are always terrific.  But I don't go to her to discuss a germinating idea."

— Anne Rice

for Creatives  |  artist integrity, writing, solitude of creating, Anne Rice, artist's voice, protect the art, editors, ideas

"The longer I write the more aware I am of the privacy of the endeavor."

— Antonya Nelson

for Creatives  |  writing, Antonya Nelson, solitude of creating

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