--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In writing practice, there's no…" description: "\"In writing practice, there's no direction. You enter your own mind and follow it where it takes you. We have a great need to connect with our own mind ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddf/natalie-goldberg-1741_healing_in-writing-practice-there-s-no-direction_1287135.png" --- # In writing practice, there's no direction. You enter your… ![“In writing practice, there's no direction. You enter your own mind and follow it where it takes you. We have a great need to connect with our own mind and our own true self. And all of us have a story to tell.” quote by Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddf/natalie-goldberg-1741_healing_in-writing-practice-there-s-no-direction_1287135.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddf/natalie-goldberg-1741_healing_in-writing-practice-there-s-no-direction_1287135.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddf/natalie-goldberg-1741_healing_in-writing-practice-there-s-no-direction_1287135.png) > “In writing practice, there's no direction. You enter your own mind and follow it where it takes you. We have a great need to connect with our own mind and our own true self. And all of us have a story to tell.” [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing is an unstructured journey into one’s mind, fostering self‑connection and authentic storytelling. **In simple terms:** Writing explores inner self without preset path. Key Takeaway Embrace free, intuitive writing. Themes creativity self‑discovery storytelling Mood inspirational encouraging Type creative psychological When to use this quote - journaling - creative workshops - therapy sessions - personal essays Key Concepts mindfulness narrative therapy Questions to Reflect On - How does unstructured writing affect your self‑knowledge? - What stories emerge when you follow your mind? A Different Perspective Lack of direction can cause frustration or aimlessness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healing/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [True self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-self/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't know anything but writing practice, and so what I really do is direct that energy as if it were flowing down a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/i-don-t-know-anything-but-writing-practice-and-so-what-i-really-do-is/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Learning to write is not a linear process. There is no logical A-to-B-to-C way to become a good writer. One neat truth about writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/learning-to-write-is-not-a-linear-process-there-is-no-logical-a-to-b/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“What writing practice, like Zen practice does is bring you back to the natural state of mind…The mind is raw, full of energy, alive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/what-writing-practice-like-zen-practice-does-is-bring-you-back-to-the/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [This is the practice school of writing. Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Some days you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/this-is-the-practice-school-of-writing-like-running-the-more-you-do-2/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [ \[T\]he one thing I want for you is to recognize when you are really singing in writing practice and honor that. Trust that. When… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/t-he-one-thing-i-want-for-you-is-to-recognize-when-you-are-really/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I came out with a book called The True Secret of Writing: Connecting Life with Language. It's a book that describes how writing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/i-came-out-with-a-book-called-the-true-secret-of-writing-connecting/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I consider writing practice a true Zen practice because it all comes back at you. You can't fool anyone because it's on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/i-consider-writing-practice-a-true-zen-practice-because-it-all-comes/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Writing practice brings us back to the uniqueness of our own minds and an acceptance of it. We all have wild dreams, fantasies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/writing-practice-brings-us-back-to-the-uniqueness-of-our-own-minds/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [What writing practice, like Zen practice does is bring you back to the natural state of mind...The mind is raw, full of energy, alive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/what-writing-practice-like-zen-practice-does-is-bring-you-back-to-the-2/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“And he would never have instructed her to tell his past self such a story and expected himself to believe it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/and-he-would-never-have-instructed-her-to-tell-his-past-self-such-a/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Novelists are in the business of constructing consciousness out of words, and that's what we all do, cradle to grave. The self is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/novelists-are-in-the-business-of-constructing-consciousness-out-of/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“You are a confabulatory creature by nature. You are always explaining to yourself the motivations for your actions and the causes to the effects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/you-are-a-confabulatory-creature-by-nature-you-are-always-explaining/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [In a sense who you are has always been a story that you told to yourself. Now your self is a story that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-ryman/in-a-sense-who-you-are-has-always-been-a-story-that-you-told-to/) [Geoff Ryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-ryman/) > [I think there's a natural link between the fact that our self is a story that we make up and that we're drawn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-think-there-s-a-natural-link-between-the-fact-that-our-self-is-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## More by Natalie Goldberg > [“We heard about people who go back to their roots. That is good, but don't get stuck in the root. There is the branch,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/we-heard-about-people-who-go-back-to-their-roots-that-is-good-but-don/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Over and over, we have to go back to the beginning. We should not be ashamed of this. It is good. It's like drinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/over-and-over-we-have-to-go-back-to-the-beginning-we-should-not-be/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I feel very rich when I have time to write and very poor when I get a regular paycheck and no time at my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/i-feel-very-rich-when-i-have-time-to-write-and-very-poor-when-i-get-a/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Actually, when I look at my old notebooks, I think I have been a bit self-indulgent and have given myself too much time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/actually-when-i-look-at-my-old-notebooks-i-think-i-have-been-a-bit/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Our bodies are garbage heaps: we collect experience, and from the decomposition of the thrown-out eggshells, spinach leaves, coffee grinds, and old steak bones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/our-bodies-are-garbage-heaps-we-collect-experience-and-from-the/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Know that you will eventually have to leave everything behind; the writing will demand it of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/know-that-you-will-eventually-have-to-leave-everything-behind-the/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [To encounter a fine book and have time to read it is a wonderful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/to-encounter-a-fine-book-and-have-time-to-read-it-is-a-wonderful-thing/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [In the past few years I've assigned books to be read before a student attends one of my weeklong seminars. I have been astonished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/in-the-past-few-years-i-ve-assigned-books-to-be-read-before-a-student/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“When you draw and pay attention to what is, it's a form of being present. This inspires the mind, makes it happy, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/when-you-draw-and-pay-attention-to-what-is-it-s-a-form-of-being/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [Poetry is a dumb Buddha who thinks a donkey is as important as a diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/poetry-is-a-dumb-buddha-who-thinks-a-donkey-is-as-important-as-a/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I told all kinds of stories about going to Japan, about playing ball with my father... I wanted to record my life in case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/i-told-all-kinds-of-stories-about-going-to-japan-about-playing-ball/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“No matter what a person does to cover up and conceal themselves, when we write and lose control, I can spot a person from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/no-matter-what-a-person-does-to-cover-up-and-conceal-themselves-when/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [To stay close and intimate with experience is to stay close to the mind; the nitty gritty mind of the way things really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/to-stay-close-and-intimate-with-experience-is-to-stay-close-to-the/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I read Eve Ensler and thought it was fabulous. Not only that, but it was really the only thing I could relate to about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/i-read-eve-ensler-and-thought-it-was-fabulous-not-only-that-but-it/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [If you feel bored or uncomfortable as you're writing, ask yourself what's bothering you and write about that. Sometimes your creative energy is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/if-you-feel-bored-or-uncomfortable-as-you-re-writing-ask-yourself/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) [Explore all 212 Natalie Goldberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) ## More Healing quotes > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/silent-like-sleep-you-appear-by-my-side-silent-like-sleep-soft-hair-a/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“One of the most outstanding aspects of Ayurveda is its teaching that nothing is absolute. The utility, value and effect of anything is relative.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-swami/one-of-the-most-outstanding-aspects-of-ayurveda-is-its-teaching-that/) [Om Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-swami/) > [“Good morning,” one of the soldiers said. “I’m Captain Joseph Walker and this is Sergeant James Vanetten. 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