--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're writing for yourself as an…" description: "\"If you're writing for yourself as an artist, you are always pulling on your own experiences.\" — Alan Menken" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/alan-menken-8351_always_if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-art_1030137.jpg" --- # If you're writing for yourself as an artist, you are… ![“If you're writing for yourself as an artist, you are always pulling on your own experiences.” quote by Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/alan-menken-8351_always_if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-art_1030137.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/alan-menken-8351_always_if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-art_1030137.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/alan-menken-8351_always_if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-art_1030137.jpg) > “If you're writing for yourself as an artist, you are always pulling on your own experiences.” [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When creating for oneself, personal experience fuels authentic expression. **In simple terms:** Use your life as art material. Key Takeaway Write from personal truth. Themes creativity authenticity self‑expression Mood introspective motivated Type creative philosophical When to use this quote - Songwriting - journaling - visual art Key Concepts Artistic process personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does your story shape your art? - When might you need external inspiration? A Different Perspective Self‑focus may limit broader audience resonance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artist Pulling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist-pulling-2348067/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) [Pulling Experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulling-experiences-2348068/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-artist-294467/) [Yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yourself/) ## Related quotes > [There is a strong feeling in the Middle West that the artist is not pulling his own weight no matter how hard he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-is-a-strong-feeling-in-the-middle-west-that-the-artist-is-not/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“As we walk around we are like magnets pulling in experiences. The Law of Attraction is governed by the vibration we are in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dines/as-we-walk-around-we-are-like-magnets-pulling-in-experiences-the-law/) [Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dines/) > [When you are writing for an artist you are trying to get into that artist's point of view. What does that artist want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-wildhorn/when-you-are-writing-for-an-artist-you-are-trying-to-get-into-that/) [Frank Wildhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-wildhorn/) > [Well, predominately, if I'm writing for another artist, I'm sitting there with them and we're writing it together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/well-predominately-if-i-m-writing-for-another-artist-i-m-sitting/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [Comics writing is for your artist. It's not for the general reader; it's for the artist. So I love writing scripts for artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-liu/comics-writing-is-for-your-artist-it-s-not-for-the-general-reader-it/) [Marjorie Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-liu/) > [When you're writing with an artist or for an artist, you have to help them serve their vision. That's the cool part about writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/when-you-re-writing-with-an-artist-or-for-an-artist-you-have-to-help/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [Natural writers will often try to force themselves into a form - novel, story, screenplay, or poem - that is not necessarily the appropriate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-olen-butler/natural-writers-will-often-try-to-force-themselves-into-a-form-novel/) [Robert Olen Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-olen-butler/) > [The main reason he wanted to be a recording artist was because it gives you much more freedom in your writing. You only have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-weil/the-main-reason-he-wanted-to-be-a-recording-artist-was-because-it/) [Cynthia Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-weil/) > [You have to kind of look at yourself and re-evaluate your own game while still not changing who you are, if that makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eubanks/you-have-to-kind-of-look-at-yourself-and-re-evaluate-your-own-game/) [Christopher Eubanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eubanks/) > [We write the song, then it gets played for the artist, and they somehow fall in love with it and go back in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-rexha/we-write-the-song-then-it-gets-played-for-the-artist-and-they-somehow/) [Bebe Rexha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-rexha/) > [As artists, we can't help but infuse our art with our own experience, so your experience becomes informative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/as-artists-we-can-t-help-but-infuse-our-art-with-our-own-experience/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [In my own case, I'm an artist, and I'm really interested in expanding the vocabulary of human action, and basically empowering people through interactivity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golan-levin/in-my-own-case-i-m-an-artist-and-i-m-really-interested-in-expanding/) [Golan Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golan-levin/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [If you want to edit your photos and make yourself look different, go for it. That is up to you, but in my opinion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-list/if-you-want-to-edit-your-photos-and-make-yourself-look-different-go/) [Peyton List](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-list/) > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) ## More by Alan Menken > [I'm not interested in being the producer of somebody else's song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-m-not-interested-in-being-the-producer-of-somebody-else-s-song/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [Every time I play 'Part of Your World,' a whole part of my life comes back to me. It's just inescapable - it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/every-time-i-play-part-of-your-world-a-whole-part-of-my-life-comes/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [My first success was 'Little Shop of Horrors,' and I had been working for years on jingles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/my-first-success-was-little-shop-of-horrors-and-i-had-been-working/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [Part of the job is knowing how to use this medium in the most effective way for the story you're telling, so for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/part-of-the-job-is-knowing-how-to-use-this-medium-in-the-most/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [I'll always work with my collaborator in the room so I have a reaction on a note-by-note basis. I know in my gut when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-ll-always-work-with-my-collaborator-in-the-room-so-i-have-a/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [I think the thing that strikes you when you come back to 'The Little Mermaid' after all of these years is the simplicity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-think-the-thing-that-strikes-you-when-you-come-back-to-the-little/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [Music is a gestalt. Songs are a life force and they have specific vocabulary to them. You hear a few notes, and they take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/music-is-a-gestalt-songs-are-a-life-force-and-they-have-specific/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [I see my songs and shows almost like a mosaic - part of a bigger picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-see-my-songs-and-shows-almost-like-a-mosaic-part-of-a-bigger-picture/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [I have an awards cabinet in my studio where I keep my eight Oscars, my 11 Grammys, my seven Golden Globes, and my Tony Award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-have-an-awards-cabinet-in-my-studio-where-i-keep-my-eight-oscars-my/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [My favorite thing is a brand-new project from scratch because you really never know how they're going to come to life. Going back for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/my-favorite-thing-is-a-brand-new-project-from-scratch-because-you/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [Truth be told, of course, what I enjoy most is reinventing myself and doing new projects where I work in new genres, or I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/truth-be-told-of-course-what-i-enjoy-most-is-reinventing-myself-and/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [I love 'The Gospel Truth,' the song that opened up 'Hercules.' I thought that song was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-love-the-gospel-truth-the-song-that-opened-up-hercules-i-thought/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [Collaboration is all about rewriting and rewriting and rewriting and helping each other to constantly improve a piece. And, it's also about spurring each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/collaboration-is-all-about-rewriting-and-rewriting-and-rewriting-and/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [I have the ability to clear the decks and focus on what's happening in the moment. And I get to spend my life doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-have-the-ability-to-clear-the-decks-and-focus-on-what-s-happening/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) > [Movies, there are moments when you're writing a song or demoing, a moment in the recording studio. Musicals much more just eat up your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/movies-there-are-moments-when-you-re-writing-a-song-or-demoing-a/) [Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) [Explore all 81 Alan Menken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're writing for yourself as an artist, you are always pulling on your own experiences.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Menken" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-artist-you-are-always-pulling-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-artist-you-are-always-pulling-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/alan-menken-8351_always_if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-art_1030137.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/alan-menken-8351_always_if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-art_1030137.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/alan-menken-8351_always_if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-art_1030137.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you're writing for yourself as an artist, you are always pulling on your own experiences.” — Alan Menken", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Menken", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you're writing for yourself as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-artist-you-are-always-pulling-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/if-you-re-writing-for-yourself-as-an-artist-you-are-always-pulling-on/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```