--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My page was too white My ink was too thin…" description: "\"My page was too white My ink was too thin The day wouldn't write What the night pencilled in.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/leonard-cohen-448_ink_my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thi_1500845.jpg" --- # My page was too white My ink was too thin The day wouldn't… ![“My page was too white My ink was too thin The day wouldn't write What the night pencilled in.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/leonard-cohen-448_ink_my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thi_1500845.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/leonard-cohen-448_ink_my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thi_1500845.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/leonard-cohen-448_ink_my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thi_1500845.jpg) > “My page was too white My ink was too thin The day wouldn't write What the night pencilled in.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker laments creative block, contrasting blank pages with unseen night ideas. **In simple terms:** Creative block vs hidden inspiration. Key Takeaway Embrace night’s ideas, write despite fear. Themes creativity frustration inspiration Mood melancholic reflective Type poetic musical When to use this quote - writing - art projects - personal reflection Key Concepts artistic expression mental blockage Questions to Reflect On - How can you capture fleeting night thoughts? - What routine can overcome blank page anxiety? A Different Perspective Night’s ideas may be vague, not actionable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness writes in white ink on a white page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-de-montherlant/happiness-writes-in-white-ink-on-a-white-page/) [Henry de Montherlant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-de-montherlant/) > [“I don't want to be pencilled in anywhere, pencil can be erased.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/i-don-t-want-to-be-pencilled-in-anywhere-pencil-can-be-erased/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [“With dark raven paper and twinkling white ink, I wrote my heart in the night’s sky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/with-dark-raven-paper-and-twinkling-white-ink-i-wrote-my-heart-in-the/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I can't write at night. For me, I'm programmed to believe that nighttime is for relaxation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/i-can-t-write-at-night-for-me-i-m-programmed-to-believe-that/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [Being an insomniac only slows me down. I try not to write at night, as I'm concerned that this will affect the quality. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/being-an-insomniac-only-slows-me-down-i-try-not-to-write-at-night-as/) [Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/) > [She could only write with him at night and she was wasting her days just sitting around. So he thought I could write with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-weil/she-could-only-write-with-him-at-night-and-she-was-wasting-her-days/) [Cynthia Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-weil/) > [I mean, when I was young I could write all through the night and I loved to work late into the night. Now that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/i-mean-when-i-was-young-i-could-write-all-through-the-night-and-i/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [TEACHER:this isn't some paper you can just write the night before ME:you underestimate my power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teacher-this-isn-t-some-paper-you-can-just-write-the-night-before-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even if I could not earn a penny from my writing, I would earn my livelihood at something else and continue to write at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-wallace/even-if-i-could-not-earn-a-penny-from-my-writing-i-would-earn-my/) [Irving Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-wallace/) > [Get yourself a notebook and write in it EVERY night for two weeks. Then stop if you can. If you can't, you're a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ghigna/get-yourself-a-notebook-and-write-in-it-every-night-for-two-weeks/) [Charles Ghigna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-ghigna/) > [I usually don't write at night, but there are times where I wake up at 3 in the morning and write all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searles/i-usually-don-t-write-at-night-but-there-are-times-where-i-wake-up-at/) [John Searles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searles/) > [It took me ten years to write The Night Journal, so that was a big ordeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-crook/it-took-me-ten-years-to-write-the-night-journal-so-that-was-a-big/) [Elizabeth Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-crook/) > [I write every night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-davis/i-write-every-night/) [Jonathan Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-davis/) > [I took time in the day to write as much of the book as I possibly could. I didn't write too much at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-magary/i-took-time-in-the-day-to-write-as-much-of-the-book-as-i-possibly/) [Drew Magary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-magary/) > [“I write because there is a night a day dawn dusk shadow and light and because there will always be seasons to dream I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amina-sa-d/i-write-because-there-is-a-night-a-day-dawn-dusk-shadow-and-light-and/) Amina Saïd ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Ink quotes > [Whole scenes of your life slip away forever if you don't put them down in ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/whole-scenes-of-your-life-slip-away-forever-if-you-don-t-put-them/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [In a recent decision of the Supreme Court, not made, however, by the full court, and concurred in by only four justices, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bates-clark/in-a-recent-decision-of-the-supreme-court-not-made-however-by-the/) [John Bates Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bates-clark/) > [Summer explodes into Portland. In early June the heat was there but not the color--the green were still pale and tentative, the morning had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/summer-explodes-into-portland-in-early-june-the-heat-was-there-but/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Martha Stewart showed up at Manhattan FBI Headquarters to have her finger prints taken and pose for a mug shot. Then Martha explained how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/martha-stewart-showed-up-at-manhattan-fbi-headquarters-to-have-her/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [It's a long, slow sunset for ink-on-paper magazines, but sunsets can produce vast sums of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/it-s-a-long-slow-sunset-for-ink-on-paper-magazines-but-sunsets-can/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [And then another letter had come from Christopher, so devastating that Amelia wondered how mere scratches of ink on paper could rip someone's soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/and-then-another-letter-had-come-from-christopher-so-devastating-that/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/if-i-lose-the-light-of-the-sun-i-will-write-by-candlelight-moonlight/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [“To say she is only a woman is to say a violin is a piece of wood with strings, and Dante is mere ink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/to-say-she-is-only-a-woman-is-to-say-a-violin-is-a-piece-of-wood-with/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [My friends are coming up - they run this tattoo parlour out there and they're gonna ink me up with the tattoo I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-benante/my-friends-are-coming-up-they-run-this-tattoo-parlour-out-there-and/) [Charlie Benante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-benante/) > [I am a galley slave to pen and ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/i-am-a-galley-slave-to-pen-and-ink/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Stars ink your fingers with a lexicon of flame blazing rare knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/stars-ink-your-fingers-with-a-lexicon-of-flame-blazing-rare-knowledge/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [The sky is now indelible ink, The branches reft asunder; But you and I we do not shrink; We love the lovely thunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/the-sky-is-now-indelible-ink-the-branches-reft-asunder-but-you-and-i/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Gold is not less but more rational than paper money. Money holds value so long as it is in limited supply; gold will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-rees/gold-is-not-less-but-more-rational-than-paper-money-money-holds-value/) [William E. Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-rees/) > [With a single drop of ink for a mirror, the Egyptian sorcerer undertakes to reveal to any chance comer far-reaching visions of the past.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/with-a-single-drop-of-ink-for-a-mirror-the-egyptian-sorcerer/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Ink is the great cure for all human ills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/ink-is-the-great-cure-for-all-human-ills/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) Browse all 495 Ink quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My page was too white My ink was too thin The day wouldn't write What the night pencilled in.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thin-the-day-wouldn-t-write-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ink" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thin-the-day-wouldn-t-write-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/leonard-cohen-448_ink_my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thi_1500845.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/leonard-cohen-448_ink_my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thi_1500845.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/leonard-cohen-448_ink_my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thi_1500845.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My page was too white My ink was too thin The day wouldn't write What the night pencilled in.” — Leonard Cohen", "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": "Leonard Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My page was too white My...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thin-the-day-wouldn-t-write-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-page-was-too-white-my-ink-was-too-thin-the-day-wouldn-t-write-what/#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 } } ] } ```