--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I had my first child, I didn't write…" description: "\"When I had my first child, I didn't write for a year, and I felt when I tried to start again I might actually not be able to do it anymore. I really co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/jennifer-egan-825_again_when-i-had-my-first-child-i-didn-t-write_1348221.jpg" --- # When I had my first child, I didn't write for a year, and… ![“When I had my first child, I didn't write for a year, and I felt when I tried to start again I might actually not be able to do it anymore. I really could not do it well, and I felt out of sorts with it.” quote by Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/jennifer-egan-825_again_when-i-had-my-first-child-i-didn-t-write_1348221.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/jennifer-egan-825_again_when-i-had-my-first-child-i-didn-t-write_1348221.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a5/jennifer-egan-825_again_when-i-had-my-first-child-i-didn-t-write_1348221.jpg) > “When I had my first child, I didn't write for a year, and I felt when I tried to start again I might actually not be able to do it anymore. I really could not do it well, and I felt out of sorts with it.” [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes losing confidence in her craft after a life change, fearing she can’t regain her skill. **In simple terms:** Motherhood made her doubt her writing ability. Key Takeaway Accept setbacks and practice to rebuild confidence. Themes creativity parenthood self‑doubt skill loss Mood reflective determined hopeful Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - returning to writing after a break - balancing parenting and career - overcoming creative block Key Concepts identity confidence recovery Questions to Reflect On - How can you rebuild creative confidence after a pause? - What routines help merge parenting and artistic work? A Different Perspective Recovery may be slower than expected; skill erosion can be deeper than confidence loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“He didn’t see any of his siblings on the way out, and he didn’t think it was because it was late. His mother was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-j-lysk/he-didn-t-see-any-of-his-siblings-on-the-way-out-and-he-didn-t-think/) [N.J. Lysk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-j-lysk/) > [“It was impossible to tell how she felt. When she tried to look inside of herself, all she saw were tangled things shifting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-gaylord/it-was-impossible-to-tell-how-she-felt-when-she-tried-to-look-inside/) Joshua Gaylord > [My heart felt empty, and I tried to fill the void with food. 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