---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Writing is like going to bed with a…"
description: "\"Writing is like going to bed with a beautiful woman and afterwards she gets up, goes to her purse and gives me a handful of money.\" — Charles Bukowski"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/charles-bukowski-73_beautiful_writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beau_3098608.jpg"
---

#  Writing is like going to bed with a beautiful woman and…

![“Writing is like going to bed with a beautiful woman and afterwards she gets up, goes to her purse and gives me a handful of money.” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/charles-bukowski-73_beautiful_writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beau_3098608.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/charles-bukowski-73_beautiful_writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beau_3098608.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/charles-bukowski-73_beautiful_writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beau_3098608.jpg)

> “Writing is like going to bed with a beautiful woman and afterwards she gets up, goes to her purse and gives me a handful of money.”

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Writing can feel rewarding yet leave you with little tangible gain after the effort.

**In simple terms:** Writing often yields intangible rewards.

Key Takeaway

Accept that creative work may not pay immediately.

Themes

creativity reward expectations

Mood

reflective wry

Type

aphor humorous

When to use this quote

- freelance writing
- publishing
- commissioned work
- personal projects

Key Concepts

artistic labor economics of art

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you value the process over the paycheck?
- How do you define success in creative work?

A Different Perspective

Monetary gain is not the sole measure of success.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beautiful woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-woman/) [Beautiful women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-women/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [I am a person who goes out without a purse. I put things in my coat pockets, so I don't have any accessories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/i-am-a-person-who-goes-out-without-a-purse-i-put-things-in-my-coat/)

[Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/)

> [I am a person who goes out without a purse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/i-am-a-person-who-goes-out-without-a-purse/)

[Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/)

> [Handful of money, what up Young money?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tity-boi/handful-of-money-what-up-young-money/)

Tity Boi

> [I don't remember going to bed, but in the morning, there I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-don-t-remember-going-to-bed-but-in-the-morning-there-i-was/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [bad writing's like bad women: there's just not much you can do about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/bad-writing-s-like-bad-women-there-s-just-not-much-you-can-do-about-it/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [The mantra of perfect day :going to bed with a dream &amp; waking up with a purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/the-mantra-of-perfect-day-going-to-bed-with-a-dream-waking-up-with-a/)

[DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/)

> [I have a two-year-old at home, and my whole life is - besides revolved around keeping this little person alive, just watching them on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemarie-dewitt/i-have-a-two-year-old-at-home-and-my-whole-life-is-besides-revolved/)

[Rosemarie DeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemarie-dewitt/)

> [Being home alone at night makes me a bit nervous. If I'm at home alone, I have to sleep on the sofa - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/being-home-alone-at-night-makes-me-a-bit-nervous-if-i-m-at-home-alone/)

[Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/)

> [As a little kid, going to bed and sleeping at night, listening to Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn call Phillie games left a lasting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-boone/as-a-little-kid-going-to-bed-and-sleeping-at-night-listening-to-harry/)

[Aaron Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-boone/)

> [True wisdom gives the only possible answer at any given moment, and that night, going back to bed was the only possible answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/true-wisdom-gives-the-only-possible-answer-at-any-given-moment-and/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [Being packed all the time, even when not in use, must feel something like going to bed on an empty stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/being-packed-all-the-time-even-when-not-in-use-must-feel-something/)

[Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/)

> [I keep vampire hours, going to bed at 2 A.M. and waking up at about 10:30-11 A.M.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-keep-vampire-hours-going-to-bed-at-2-a-m-and-waking-up-at-about-10/)

[Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/)

> [I'm tired. I'm going back to bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-tired-i-m-going-back-to-bed/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Now theyre going to bed and my stomach is sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-killers/now-theyre-going-to-bed-and-my-stomach-is-sick/)

[The Killers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-killers/)

> [“I say, ‘Man, you best behave youself this time, cause we ain’t never getting this mattress out from in here.’ … Berry say, ‘Don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-antoni/i-say-man-you-best-behave-youself-this-time-cause-we-ain-t-never/)

Robert Antoni

## More by Charles Bukowski

> [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [well, death says, as he walks by, I'm going to get you anyhow no matter what you've been: writer, cab-driver, pimp, butcher, sky-diver, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-death-says-as-he-walks-by-i-m-going-to-get-you-anyhow-no-matter/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“There is only one place to write and that is alone at a typewriter. A writer who has to go into the streets is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-is-only-one-place-to-write-and-that-is-alone-at-a-typewriter-a/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“nerves twitching in the sheets -- to face the sunlight again, that's clearly trouble. I like the city better when the neon lights are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nerves-twitching-in-the-sheets-to-face-the-sunlight-again-that-s/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“Their Love Is Average, Seeks Average But There Is Genius In Their Hatred”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/their-love-is-average-seeks-average-but-there-is-genius-in-their/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“I climbed the stairway (there was no elevator) and put the key in. The door swung open. Somebody had changed all the furniture around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-climbed-the-stairway-there-was-no-elevator-and-put-the-key-in-the/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“Strangers when you meet, strangers when you part -a gymnasium of bodies namelessly masturbating each other. People with no morals often considered themselves more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/strangers-when-you-meet-strangers-when-you-part-a-gymnasium-of-bodies/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [I like to change liquor stores frequently because the clerks got to know your habits if you went in night and day and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-like-to-change-liquor-stores-frequently-because-the-clerks-got-to/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“I was like a turd that drew flies instead of like a flower that butterflies and bees desired. I wanted to live alone,I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-was-like-a-turd-that-drew-flies-instead-of-like-a-flower-that/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [It's 4:30 in the morning, it's always 4:30 in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/it-s-4-30-in-the-morning-it-s-always-4-30-in-the-morning/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [I had no feeling for the things so many others needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-had-no-feeling-for-the-things-so-many-others-needed/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [I went home each night dizzy and sick. He was murdering me with the sound of his voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-went-home-each-night-dizzy-and-sick-he-was-murdering-me-with-the/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“the nights you fight best are when all the weapons are pointed at you, when all the voices hurl their insults while the dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-nights-you-fight-best-are-when-all-the-weapons-are-pointed-at-you/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

[Explore all 1,492 Charles Bukowski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

## More Beautiful quotes

> [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/)

[Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/)

> [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/)

[Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/)

> [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/)

[Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/)

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/)

Tumblr

> [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/)

[Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/)

> [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/)

[Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/)

> [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/)

[Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/)

> [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/)

[Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/)

> [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/)

[Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/)

[Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Writing is like going to bed with a beautiful woman and afterwards she gets up, goes to her purse and gives me a handful of money.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Bukowski"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beautiful-woman-and-afterwards/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beautiful"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beautiful-woman-and-afterwards/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/charles-bukowski-73_beautiful_writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beau_3098608.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/charles-bukowski-73_beautiful_writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beau_3098608.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/charles-bukowski-73_beautiful_writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beau_3098608.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Writing is like going to bed with a beautiful woman and afterwards she gets up, goes to her purse and gives…” — Charles Bukowski",
                "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": "Charles Bukowski",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Writing is like going to bed...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beautiful-woman-and-afterwards/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/writing-is-like-going-to-bed-with-a-beautiful-woman-and-afterwards/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
