Books Quote by Harriet Martineau
“When once experience taught me that I could work when I chose, and within a quarter of an hour of my determining to do so, I was relieved, in a great measure, from those embarrassments and depressions which I see afflicting many an author who waits for a mood instead of summoning it, and is the sport, instead of the master, of his own impressions and ideas.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Influence of Mood on Creative Work, 1840
The passage suggests that waiting for inspiration is futile; disciplined work yields freedom from anxiety and enhances creative control.
In simple terms: Work deliberately, not waiting for mood.
Key Takeaway
Adopt disciplined work habits to master creativity.
Themes
creativity
discipline
productivity
mental health
authorial control
Mood
motivational
practical
encouraging
Type
advice
inspirational
When to use this quote
- writing routine
- artistic practice
- self‑management
Key Concepts
Self‑efficacy
flow state
habit formation
Questions to Reflect On
- What routines help you summon creativity?
- How can you balance structure with spontaneity?
A Different Perspective
It may underestimate the value of spontaneous inspiration.
![“I was trying to release emotions, exercise emotions, and then I entered the art world. Even after grad school, some of [the earlier works] were still lingering in my head. I realized there were some pieces where I felt that I had to respond to the criticism.” quote by Kalup Linzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/694/kalup-linzy-20386_art_i-was-trying-to-release-emotions-exercis_170433.jpg)
![“[I] wish that the land-tax went a little more according to situation than it does. 'Tis really ridiculous, how one has to pay five times as much as another, without any reason that ever I heard tell.” quote by Harriet Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7a0/harriet-martineau-6736_doe_i-wish-that-the-land-tax-went-a-little-m_297758.jpg)
