When you write, don't say, "I'm going to write a poem." That attitude will freeze you right away. Sit down with the least expectation of yourself; say, "I am free to write the worst junk in the world." — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
“We heard about people who go back to their roots. That is good, but don't get stuck in the root. There is the branch, the leaf, the flower - all reaching toward the immense sky. We are many things. In Israel looking for my "roots", I realized that while I was a Jew, I was also an American, a feminist,… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share
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… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
I feel very rich when I have time to write and very poor when I get a regular paycheck and no time at my… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
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… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share
Our bodies are garbage heaps: we collect experience, and from the decomposition of the thrown-out eggshells, spinach leaves, coffee grinds, and old steak bones out of our minds come nitrogen, heat, and very fertile soil. Out of this fertile soil bloom our poems and stories. But this does not come all at once. It takes time. Continue to turn over… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share
Know that you will eventually have to leave everything behind; the writing will demand it of you. — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
To encounter a fine book and have time to read it is a wonderful thing. — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
In the past few years I've assigned books to be read before a student attends one of my weeklong seminars. I have been astonished… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
“When you draw and pay attention to what is, it's a form of being present. This inspires the mind, makes it happy, and the… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
Poetry is a dumb Buddha who thinks a donkey is as important as a diamond. — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
I told all kinds of stories about going to Japan, about playing ball with my father... I wanted to record my life in case… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share Image
“No matter what a person does to cover up and conceal themselves, when we write and lose control, I can spot a person from Alabama, Florida, South Carolina a mile away even if they make no exact reference to location. Their words are lush like the land they come from, filled with nine aunties, people named Bubba. There is something… — Natalie Goldberg Copy Share
