--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It doesn't need to be imagined, it needs…" description: "\"It doesn't need to be imagined, it needs to be written down.\" — Philip Glass" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/108/philip-glass-14533_funny_it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs_2832292.jpg" --- # It doesn't need to be imagined, it needs to be written down. ![“It doesn't need to be imagined, it needs to be written down.” quote by Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/108/philip-glass-14533_funny_it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs_2832292.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/108/philip-glass-14533_funny_it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs_2832292.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/108/philip-glass-14533_funny_it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs_2832292.jpg) > “It doesn't need to be imagined, it needs to be written down.” [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas must be documented, not just imagined. **In simple terms:** Write down ideas. Key Takeaway Turn thoughts into tangible plans. Themes creativity documentation action Mood practical inspirational Type advice creative When to use this quote - Writing - project planning Key Concepts Idea generation execution gap Questions to Reflect On - How do you capture fleeting ideas? - What system helps you keep track? A Different Perspective May undervalue spontaneous creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think I'm such an amazing person who needs to be written about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-winehouse/i-don-t-think-i-m-such-an-amazing-person-who-needs-to-be-written-about/) [Amy Winehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-winehouse/) > [Write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I'm not sure that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/write-your-story-as-it-needs-to-be-written-write-it-honestly-and-tell/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I always have a story in my head that needs to be written, or at least I think I do. But I usually can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/i-always-have-a-story-in-my-head-that-needs-to-be-written-or-at-least/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [God doesn't need verbal language for communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-neal/god-doesn-t-need-verbal-language-for-communication/) [Mary C. Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-neal/) > ["The warrior who trusts his path doesn't need to prove the other is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-warrior-who-trusts-his-path-doesn-t-need-to-prove-the-other-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thank God for what doesn't need healing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/thank-god-for-what-doesn-t-need-healing/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [LOVE is not blind, but it doesn't need to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-not-blind-but-it-doesn-t-need-to-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happiness isn't measured by what you have but what you feel, which doesn't need to depend on what you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anmol-andore/happiness-isn-t-measured-by-what-you-have-but-what-you-feel-which/) [Anmol Andore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anmol-andore/) > [I don't have an attitude! And it CERTAINLY... doesn't need to be adjusted!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vickie-guerrero/i-don-t-have-an-attitude-and-it-certainly-doesn-t-need-to-be-adjusted/) Vickie Guerrero > [A man doesn't need brilliance or genius, all he needs is energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-m-greenfield/a-man-doesn-t-need-brilliance-or-genius-all-he-needs-is-energy/) Albert M. Greenfield > [The world doesn't need any more pretty good songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/the-world-doesn-t-need-any-more-pretty-good-songs/) [Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/) > [The stupid woman is the one who thinks she doesn’t need any help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/the-stupid-woman-is-the-one-who-thinks-she-doesn-t-need-any-help/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [A man doesn't need a study to know if he's feeling amorous. There is no such thing as a placebo erection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/a-man-doesn-t-need-a-study-to-know-if-he-s-feeling-amorous-there-is/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) > [New doesn't need our past. It only can learn from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th/new-doesn-t-need-our-past-it-only-can-learn-from-it/) @th > [You don't need someone who doesn't need you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/you-don-t-need-someone-who-doesn-t-need-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) ## More by Philip Glass > [I, as a young guy getting out of music school, I didn't like the prospect of spending my life writing music for about 200 people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-as-a-young-guy-getting-out-of-music-school-i-didn-t-like-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [My biggest problem about writing is whenever I write piano pieces, because I then have to learn to play them, which is sometimes not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/my-biggest-problem-about-writing-is-whenever-i-write-piano-pieces/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [In order to arrive at a personal style, you have to have a technique to begin with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/in-order-to-arrive-at-a-personal-style-you-have-to-have-a-technique/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I think it's a great handicap to be discovered at an early age. I didn't have that burden of early success. I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-think-it-s-a-great-handicap-to-be-discovered-at-an-early-age-i-didn/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I don't know what I'm doing and it's the not knowing that makes it interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-and-it-s-the-not-knowing-that-makes-it/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [It takes about a year to write an opera for me, but not a really a year of writing. I'm touring at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/it-takes-about-a-year-to-write-an-opera-for-me-but-not-a-really-a/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I don't think I'm capable of making radical changes, but over a period of four or five years you can perceive very big changes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-don-t-think-i-m-capable-of-making-radical-changes-but-over-a-period/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [You practice and you get better. It's very simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/you-practice-and-you-get-better-it-s-very-simple/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [ The generation of composers that are just preceded me, people like \[Karlheinz\] Stockhausen, \[Pierre\] Boulez, and, well, \[John\] Cage for that matter,\[Morton\] Feldman ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-generation-of-composers-that-are-just-preceded-me-people-like/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [The hardest thing about traveling is that mostly you get to a point - and it always happens on every tour - where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-hardest-thing-about-traveling-is-that-mostly-you-get-to-a-point/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I travel the world, and I'm happy to say that America is still the great melting pot - maybe a chunky stew rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-travel-the-world-and-i-m-happy-to-say-that-america-is-still-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [Traditions are imploding and exploding everywhere - everything is coming together, for better or worse, and we can no longer pretend we're all living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/traditions-are-imploding-and-exploding-everywhere-everything-is/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [The work I've done is the work I know, and the work I do is the work I don't know. I don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-work-i-ve-done-is-the-work-i-know-and-the-work-i-do-is-the-work-i/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I'd say it's just part of the world that we live in; it's part of the music world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-d-say-it-s-just-part-of-the-world-that-we-live-in-it-s-part-of-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [There's almost no content in terms of language at all. I don't like using language to convey meaning. I'd rather use images and music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/there-s-almost-no-content-in-terms-of-language-at-all-i-don-t-like/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) [Explore all 46 Philip Glass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) ## More Funny quotes > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [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/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers & think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) Michael Fishman [Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It doesn't need to be imagined, it needs to be written down.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Glass" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs-to-be-written-down/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Funny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs-to-be-written-down/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/108/philip-glass-14533_funny_it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs_2832292.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/108/philip-glass-14533_funny_it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs_2832292.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/108/philip-glass-14533_funny_it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs_2832292.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It doesn't need to be imagined, it needs to be written down.” — Philip Glass", "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": "Philip Glass", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It doesn't need to be imagined,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs-to-be-written-down/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/it-doesn-t-need-to-be-imagined-it-needs-to-be-written-down/#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 } } ] } ```