--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we need,' Henry says, 'is a fresh…" description: "\"What we need,' Henry says, 'is a fresh start. A blank slate. Let's call her Tabula Rasa.\" — Audrey Niffenegger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f2/audrey-niffenegger-1298_blank_what-we-need-henry-says-is-a-fresh-start_631491.jpg" --- # What we need,' Henry says, 'is a fresh start. A blank… ![“What we need,' Henry says, 'is a fresh start. A blank slate. Let's call her Tabula Rasa.” quote by Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f2/audrey-niffenegger-1298_blank_what-we-need-henry-says-is-a-fresh-start_631491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f2/audrey-niffenegger-1298_blank_what-we-need-henry-says-is-a-fresh-start_631491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f2/audrey-niffenegger-1298_blank_what-we-need-henry-says-is-a-fresh-start_631491.jpg) > “What we need,' Henry says, 'is a fresh start. A blank slate. Let's call her Tabula Rasa.” [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A fresh start offers a chance to reset expectations and begin anew, free of past constraints. **In simple terms:** A new beginning clears past baggage. Key Takeaway Embrace the clean slate. Themes renewal possibility reset Mood hopeful determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - starting a new job - moving to a new city - overcoming a breakup - rebranding a business Key Concepts tabula rasa psychology personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What would you change if you could start over? - How do you ensure a fresh start is sustainable? A Different Perspective A fresh start may be idealized but can ignore unresolved issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blank slate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blank-slate/) [Blank slates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blank-slates/) [Fresh start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fresh-start/) [Tabula rasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tabula-rasa/) ## Related quotes > [Whenever I finish a book, I start with a blank slate and never have ideas lined up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/whenever-i-finish-a-book-i-start-with-a-blank-slate-and-never-have/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [...and I suddenly feel that Henry is there, incredible need for Henry to be there and to put his hand on me even while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/and-i-suddenly-feel-that-henry-is-there-incredible-need-for-henry-to/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“Tabula rasa… it’s from Aristotle. It means blank slate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-hawkeye/tabula-rasa-it-s-from-aristotle-it-means-blank-slate/) Lauren Hawkeye > [The apartment was entirely, was only, for her: a wall of books, both read and unread, all of them dear to her not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-apartment-was-entirely-was-only-for-her-a-wall-of-books-both-read/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Blank-slate friendships were thin and temperamental. She knew that. There was no history there to cement people together, for better or worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/blank-slate-friendships-were-thin-and-temperamental-she-knew-that/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [I try and reduce myself to an almost blank slate and hope to God that I am creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-kingsley/i-try-and-reduce-myself-to-an-almost-blank-slate-and-hope-to-god-that/) [Ben Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-kingsley/) > [I've never been about trying to promote a brand of Squarepusher. I've never been keen on that idea that these are the character traits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/squarepusher/i-ve-never-been-about-trying-to-promote-a-brand-of-squarepusher-i-ve/) Squarepusher > [Don't get seduced by your own stuff; work hard to keep a blank slate state of mind each time you watch your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/don-t-get-seduced-by-your-own-stuff-work-hard-to-keep-a-blank-slate/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [When absolutes are abandoned for principles, the U.S. Constitution becomes a blank slate for anyone’s graffiti.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/when-absolutes-are-abandoned-for-principles-the-u-s-constitution/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [There's nothing so attractive as a blank slate. 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I look around and see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-peters/my-room-is-cleared-my-head-is-cleared-earlier-around-dawn-i-took-out/) [Julie Anne Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-peters/) > [ It was a lot of fun to play a character \[in Swiss Army Man\] with no inhibitions, and with no knowledge of the world,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/it-was-a-lot-of-fun-to-play-a-character-in-swiss-army-man-with-no/) [Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/) > [You can sit in front of a computer and have a blank slate and be completely overwhelmed by the possibilities and not get anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brown/you-can-sit-in-front-of-a-computer-and-have-a-blank-slate-and-be/) [Rob Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brown/) > [I am a blank slate - therefore I can create anything I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobey-maguire/i-am-a-blank-slate-therefore-i-can-create-anything-i-want/) [Tobey Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobey-maguire/) ## More by Audrey Niffenegger > [But you know: you know that if I could have stayed, if I could have gone on, that I would have clutched every second:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/but-you-know-you-know-that-if-i-could-have-stayed-if-i-could-have/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I look at him, look at the book, remember, this book, this moment, the first book I ever loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-look-at-him-look-at-the-book-remember-this-book-this-moment-the/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“When I was young I didn't understand, but now, I know, how absence can be present, like a damaged nerve, like a dark bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/when-i-was-young-i-didn-t-understand-but-now-i-know-how-absence-can/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [Everything seems simple until you think about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/everything-seems-simple-until-you-think-about-it/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I place my hands over her ears and tip her head back, and kiss her, and try to put my heart into hers, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-place-my-hands-over-her-ears-and-tip-her-head-back-and-kiss-her-and/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“Sister Carmelita says animals don't have souls" "Of course animals have souls, where did she get that idea?" 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Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/what-are-you-doing-nothing-breaking-and-entering-pay-no-attention-to/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I won't ever leave you, even though you're always leaving me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-won-t-ever-leave-you-even-though-you-re-always-leaving-me/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“It seems like we're going to collide, and we laugh, and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can be lost, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/it-seems-like-we-re-going-to-collide-and-we-laugh-and-laugh-and/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“We were royally miserable together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/we-were-royally-miserable-together/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“No.” Valentina closed her eyes. Of course not. “It’ll be great, Mouse. We’ll have our own apartment, we won’t have to work,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/no-valentina-closed-her-eyes-of-course-not-it-ll-be-great-mouse-we-ll/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“I make books because I love them as objects; because I want to put the pictures and the words together, because I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-make-books-because-i-love-them-as-objects-because-i-want-to-put-the/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) [Explore all 250 Audrey Niffenegger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) ## More Blank quotes > [I have often wondered how they manage to get return envelopes which miss, by one-quarter of an inch, fitting the blank you are supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/i-have-often-wondered-how-they-manage-to-get-return-envelopes-which/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [But that quickly faded, and he frowned. 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