Bigs Quote by Joseph Campbell
“My writing is of a very different kind from anything I've heard about. All this mythological material is out there, a big gathering of stuff, and I have been reading it for some forty- or fifty-odd years. There are various ways of handling that. The most common is to put the material together and publish a scholarly book about it. But when I'm writing, I try to get a sense of an experiential relationship to the material. In fact, I can't write unless that happens ... I don't write unless the stuff is really working on me, and my selection of material depends on what works.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Writer's Journey, 1990
He emphasizes that authentic writing arises from personal, experiential connection to myth, not just scholarly compilation.
In simple terms: Write only when myth resonates personally.
Key Takeaway
Seek personal resonance before writing.
Themes
mythology
creativity
authenticity
Mood
reflective
inspired
Type
instructional
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- personal research
- story development
- teaching mythic storytelling
Key Concepts
experiential learning
selection process
creative inspiration
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you know a myth is working on you?
- What practices deepen your experiential link?
A Different Perspective
Scholarly analysis may miss emotional depth.
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