--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My writing is like those little carved…" description: "\"“My writing is like those little carved baskets made in prisons…”\" — Leo Tolstoy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/leo-tolstoy-55_anna-karenina_my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-b_3176553.png" --- # My writing is like those little carved baskets made in… ![“My writing is like those little carved baskets made in prisons…” quote by Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/leo-tolstoy-55_anna-karenina_my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-b_3176553.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/leo-tolstoy-55_anna-karenina_my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-b_3176553.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/leo-tolstoy-55_anna-karenina_my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-b_3176553.png) > ““My writing is like those little carved baskets made in prisons…”” [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work is likened to handcrafted, confined objects, emphasizing labor, restriction, and hidden beauty. **In simple terms:** Writing is like making small, confined crafts. Key Takeaway Value the care in constrained creativity. Themes creativity craft restriction beauty Mood reflective introspective Type literary metaphorical When to use this quote - writing - prison art - handicrafts - personal expression Key Concepts literature metaphor artistry Questions to Reflect On - What constraints inspire your best work? - How do you find beauty in limited spaces? A Different Perspective May romanticize suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anna-karenina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anna-karenina-2/) [Baskets Prisons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baskets-prisons-5803558/) [Carved Baskets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carved-baskets-5803559/) [Prisons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisons/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-like/) ## Related quotes > [“Lord have mercy! Pardon and help us!" he repeated the words that suddenly and unexpectedly sprang to his lips. And he, an unbeliever, repeated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/lord-have-mercy-pardon-and-help-us-he-repeated-the-words-that/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Todas as mulheres são mais materialistas do que os homens. Nós fazemos do amor algo enorme, mas elas sempre se mantém ‘terre-à-terre’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/todas-as-mulheres-s-o-mais-materialistas-do-que-os-homens-n-s-fazemos/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I see that my presence is burdensome to you. Painful as it was for me to become convinced of it, I see that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-see-that-my-presence-is-burdensome-to-you-painful-as-it-was-for-me/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Besides, Oblonsky was fond of a pleasant joke, and sometimes liked to perplex a simple-minded man by observing that if you're going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/besides-oblonsky-was-fond-of-a-pleasant-joke-and-sometimes-liked-to/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He understood that feeling of Levin's so well, knew that for Levin all the girls in the world were divided into two classes: one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-understood-that-feeling-of-levin-s-so-well-knew-that-for-levin-all/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Levin tried to drink a little coffee, and put a piece of roll into his mouth, but his mouth could do nothing with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/levin-tried-to-drink-a-little-coffee-and-put-a-piece-of-roll-into-his/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I didn’t know you were going. What are you coming for?" she said, letting fall the hand with which she had grasped the doorpost.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-didn-t-know-you-were-going-what-are-you-coming-for-she-said-letting/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“The acquisition by dishonest means and cunning,' said Levin, feeling that he was incapable of clearly defining the borderline between honesty and dishonesty. 'Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-acquisition-by-dishonest-means-and-cunning-said-levin-feeling/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“The aim of civilization is to enable us to get enjoyment out of everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-aim-of-civilization-is-to-enable-us-to-get-enjoyment-out-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“With 6 children Darya Alexandrovna could not be calm. One got sick, another might get sick, a third lacked something, a fourth showed signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/with-6-children-darya-alexandrovna-could-not-be-calm-one-got-sick/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I think love, both kinds of love, which you remember Plato defines in his "Symposium" - both kinds of love serve a touchstone for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-think-love-both-kinds-of-love-which-you-remember-plato-defines-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“But that's the whole aim of civilization: to make everything a source of enjoyment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/but-that-s-the-whole-aim-of-civilization-to-make-everything-a-source/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Anna had been preparing herself for this meeting, had thought what she would say to him, but she did not succeed in saying anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/anna-had-been-preparing-herself-for-this-meeting-had-thought-what-she/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Everything was made bright by her. She was the smile that shed light all around her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/everything-was-made-bright-by-her-she-was-the-smile-that-shed-light/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Sou amigo da divisão do trabalho. Pessoas que não fazem nada devem fazer pessoas, enquanto as demais devem contribuir para a instrução e a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/sou-amigo-da-divis-o-do-trabalho-pessoas-que-n-o-fazem-nada-devem/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More by Leo Tolstoy > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-significance-of-life-consists-in-helping-to-establish-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“If you only knew what those society women are, and women in general! 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She was standing talking to a lady at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-knew-she-was-there-by-the-rapture-and-the-terror-that-seized-on/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/rest-nature-books-music-such-is-my-idea-of-happiness/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He was not to blame for being born with an irrepressible charachter and a mind some how constrained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-was-not-to-blame-for-being-born-with-an-irrepressible-charachter/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I ask one thing only: I ask for the right to hope, to suffer as I do. But if even that cannot be, command…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-ask-one-thing-only-i-ask-for-the-right-to-hope-to-suffer-as-i-do/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The idea shared by many that life is a vale of tears is just as false as the idea shared by the great majority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-idea-shared-by-many-that-life-is-a-vale-of-tears-is-just-as-false/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-say-that-a-work-of-art-is-good-but-incomprehensible-to-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [True life is lived when tiny changes occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/true-life-is-lived-when-tiny-changes-occur/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) [Explore all 1,754 Leo Tolstoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More Anna-karenina quotes > [“Lord have mercy! Pardon and help us!" he repeated the words that suddenly and unexpectedly sprang to his lips. And he, an unbeliever, repeated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/lord-have-mercy-pardon-and-help-us-he-repeated-the-words-that/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Everything was made bright by her. She was the smile that shed light all around her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/everything-was-made-bright-by-her-she-was-the-smile-that-shed-light/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Anna had been preparing herself for this meeting, had thought what she would say to him, but she did not succeed in saying anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/anna-had-been-preparing-herself-for-this-meeting-had-thought-what-she/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“But that's the whole aim of civilization: to make everything a source of enjoyment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/but-that-s-the-whole-aim-of-civilization-to-make-everything-a-source/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I think love, both kinds of love, which you remember Plato defines in his "Symposium" - both kinds of love serve a touchstone for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-think-love-both-kinds-of-love-which-you-remember-plato-defines-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“With 6 children Darya Alexandrovna could not be calm. One got sick, another might get sick, a third lacked something, a fourth showed signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/with-6-children-darya-alexandrovna-could-not-be-calm-one-got-sick/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“The aim of civilization is to enable us to get enjoyment out of everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-aim-of-civilization-is-to-enable-us-to-get-enjoyment-out-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Se você tiver qualquer pensamento para mim que você vai me dar de volta a minha paz!'' ''Não pode haver paz para nós, só…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liev-tolst-i/se-voc-tiver-qualquer-pensamento-para-mim-que-voc-vai-me-dar-de-volta/) [Liev Tolstói](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liev-tolst-i/) > [“The acquisition by dishonest means and cunning,' said Levin, feeling that he was incapable of clearly defining the borderline between honesty and dishonesty. 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Painful as it was for me to become convinced of it, I see that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-see-that-my-presence-is-burdensome-to-you-painful-as-it-was-for-me/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Todas as mulheres são mais materialistas do que os homens. Nós fazemos do amor algo enorme, mas elas sempre se mantém ‘terre-à-terre’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/todas-as-mulheres-s-o-mais-materialistas-do-que-os-homens-n-s-fazemos/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) [Browse all 36 Anna-karenina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anna-karenina-2/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My writing is like those little carved baskets made in prisons…”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Tolstoy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-baskets-made-in-prisons/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anna-karenina" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-baskets-made-in-prisons/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/leo-tolstoy-55_anna-karenina_my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-b_3176553.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/leo-tolstoy-55_anna-karenina_my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-b_3176553.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c5/leo-tolstoy-55_anna-karenina_my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-b_3176553.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My writing is like those little carved baskets made in prisons…” — Leo Tolstoy", "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": "Leo Tolstoy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“My writing is like those little...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-baskets-made-in-prisons/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/my-writing-is-like-those-little-carved-baskets-made-in-prisons/#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 } } ] } ```