---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know if nature is a direct…"
description: "\"I don't know if nature is a direct literary influence on my writing, but it is certainly important to me. I take great joy in writing about it. It is s..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/per-petterson-8468_about_i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-liter_1561244.png"
---

#  I don't know if nature is a direct literary influence on…

![“I don't know if nature is a direct literary influence on my writing, but it is certainly important to me. I take great joy in writing about it. It is something I have taken with me from my childhood; the body exposed to the threat of the physical world and at the same time being at home in it.” quote by Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/per-petterson-8468_about_i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-liter_1561244.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/per-petterson-8468_about_i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-liter_1561244.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/per-petterson-8468_about_i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-liter_1561244.png)

> “I don't know if nature is a direct literary influence on my writing, but it is certainly important to me. I take great joy in writing about it. It is something I have taken with me from my childhood; the body exposed to the threat of the physical world and at the same time being at home in it.”

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

## 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 acknowledges nature’s subtle impact on his work, noting its personal significance and formative role from childhood.

**In simple terms:** Nature shapes his writing and feels personal.

Key Takeaway

Embrace natural experiences to enrich creativity.

Themes

nature creativity childhood writing personal growth

Mood

reflective introspective inspired

Type

personal philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- creative writing
- personal essays
- teaching writing
- nature retreats

Key Concepts

environmental influence sensory memory identity formation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your early environment shape your artistic voice?
- Can you write compellingly without natural references?

A Different Perspective

Nature may inspire but not dictate style; reliance on it can limit thematic diversity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly/) [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Direct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct/) [Direct Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct-literary-5857347/) [Exposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exposed/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-joy/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Influence Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence-writing-660958/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-nature-1172022/) [Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary/) [Literary Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-influence-460859/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Physical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical/) [Physical world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical-world/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Take](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-certainly-886839/)

## Related quotes

> [My father is my biggest literary influence. Recently, I've been looking through his letters. He was in the National Guard when I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/my-father-is-my-biggest-literary-influence-recently-i-ve-been-looking/)

[Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/)

> [A literary influence is never just a literary influence. It's also an influence in the way you see everything - in the way you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-gunn/a-literary-influence-is-never-just-a-literary-influence-it-s-also-an/)

[Thom Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-gunn/)

> [“Never underestimate the value of superior hair as a literary influence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/never-underestimate-the-value-of-superior-hair-as-a-literary-influence/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [My greatest influence has been the blues. And that's a literary influence, because I think the blues is the best literature that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/my-greatest-influence-has-been-the-blues-and-that-s-a-literary/)

[August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/)

> [You can write any time people will leave you alone and not interrupt you. Or rather you can if you will be ruthless enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-can-write-any-time-people-will-leave-you-alone-and-not-interrupt-2/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [I think that screenwriting probably isn't seen as writing in the same way that novel-writing is seen as writing. But I certainly don't see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-garland/i-think-that-screenwriting-probably-isn-t-seen-as-writing-in-the-same/)

[Alex Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-garland/)

> [our finest writing will certainly come from what is unregenerate in ourselves. It will come from the part that is obdurate, unbanishable, immune to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-friedman/our-finest-writing-will-certainly-come-from-what-is-unregenerate-in/)

[Bonnie Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-friedman/)

> [Writing must certainly be one of the hardest professions - writing and painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjelica-huston/writing-must-certainly-be-one-of-the-hardest-professions-writing-and/)

[Anjelica Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjelica-huston/)

> [For me, the most important thing is the writing - and certainly the director. But if the writing isn't there, it doesn't matter who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-kane/for-me-the-most-important-thing-is-the-writing-and-certainly-the/)

[Carol Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-kane/)

> [Haec ego non multis (scribo), sed tibi: satis enim magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus. I am writing this not to many, but to you:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/haec-ego-non-multis-scribo-sed-tibi-satis-enim-magnum-alter-alteri/)

[Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/)

> [The best writing is certainly when you are in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-best-writing-is-certainly-when-you-are-in-love/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [I think scrin writers like to see how people bring their words to life, and it's always surprising. Always, no matter what, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-edelstein/i-think-scrin-writers-like-to-see-how-people-bring-their-words-to/)

[Lisa Edelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-edelstein/)

> [You can write any time people will leave you alone and not interrupt you. Or rather you can if you will be ruthless enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-can-write-any-time-people-will-leave-you-alone-and-not-interrupt/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [Writing has certainly helped me explore about 20,000 versions of my authentic self. I suppose that's what most writers discover if they write long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/writing-has-certainly-helped-me-explore-about-20-000-versions-of-my/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

> [You can then further enhance the process of writing by forming the clear intention that your Higher Self will influence your writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-then-further-enhance-the-process-of-writing-by-forming-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Per Petterson

> [“Light in every lamp, light in every mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/light-in-every-lamp-light-in-every-mind/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [I come from a working-class family. They're the people I know and the people I love, I guess. I do not write about them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-come-from-a-working-class-family-they-re-the-people-i-know-and-the/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [When my mother talked about her brother, there was this light in her eyes. I thought, 'This is the basis of a novel.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/when-my-mother-talked-about-her-brother-there-was-this-light-in-her/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“But life had shifted its weight from one point to another, from one leg to the other, like a silent giant in the vast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/but-life-had-shifted-its-weight-from-one-point-to-another-from-one/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“All my life I have longed to be alone in a place like this. Even when everything was going well, as it often did.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/all-my-life-i-have-longed-to-be-alone-in-a-place-like-this-even-when/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“I distinctly heard the blackbird from the top of a spruce tree, and clear as glass I heard the lark high up and several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-distinctly-heard-the-blackbird-from-the-top-of-a-spruce-tree-and/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [I decided if I couldn't be a writer, my life would be miserable. I had this imaginary room of references to all the books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-decided-if-i-couldn-t-be-a-writer-my-life-would-be-miserable-i-had/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“It is important not to be careless about supper when you are alone. It is easily done, boring as it is to cook for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/it-is-important-not-to-be-careless-about-supper-when-you-are-alone-it/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“We ran back, he first and I following him, between the beds and downstairs, and we picked up an armful of wood from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/we-ran-back-he-first-and-i-following-him-between-the-beds-and/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [I rely heavily on rhythm when I write. You should tap your foot when you read it, all the way through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-rely-heavily-on-rhythm-when-i-write-you-should-tap-your-foot-when/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“What I liked was the train ride. It took an hour and that was enough for me to be able to lean backwards against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/what-i-liked-was-the-train-ride-it-took-an-hour-and-that-was-enough/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“...everything felt fine at that moment; the suit was fine, and the twon was fine to walk in, along the cobblestone street, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/everything-felt-fine-at-that-moment-the-suit-was-fine-and-the-twon/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“It may be all very well in Dickens, but when you read Dickens you're reading a long ballad from a vanished world, where everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/it-may-be-all-very-well-in-dickens-but-when-you-read-dickens-you-re/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [I write about families. That is who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-write-about-families-that-is-who-we-are/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

> [“...the young swans as big as their parents now, but still grey and it looks peculiar, like two different species swimming in a line,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/the-young-swans-as-big-as-their-parents-now-but-still-grey-and-it/)

[Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

[Explore all 79 Per Petterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

[Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't know if nature is a direct literary influence on my writing, but it is certainly important to me. I take great joy in writing about it. It is something I have taken with me from my childhood; the body exposed to the threat of the physical world and at the same time being at home in it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Per Petterson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-literary-influence-on-my-writing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-literary-influence-on-my-writing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/per-petterson-8468_about_i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-liter_1561244.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/per-petterson-8468_about_i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-liter_1561244.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/per-petterson-8468_about_i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-liter_1561244.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't know if nature is a direct literary influence on my writing, but it is certainly important to me. I…” — Per Petterson",
                "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": "Per Petterson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't know if nature is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-literary-influence-on-my-writing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/i-don-t-know-if-nature-is-a-direct-literary-influence-on-my-writing/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
