--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And it’s only by going nowhere - by…" description: "\"And it’s only by going nowhere - by sitting still or letting my mind relax - that I find that the thoughts that come to me unbidden are far fresher and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/pico-iyer-1252_imaginative_and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sittin_1473034.png" --- # And it’s only by going nowhere - by sitting still or… ![“And it’s only by going nowhere - by sitting still or letting my mind relax - that I find that the thoughts that come to me unbidden are far fresher and more imaginative than the ones I consciously seek out.” quote by Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/pico-iyer-1252_imaginative_and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sittin_1473034.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/pico-iyer-1252_imaginative_and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sittin_1473034.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/pico-iyer-1252_imaginative_and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sittin_1473034.png) > “And it’s only by going nowhere - by sitting still or letting my mind relax - that I find that the thoughts that come to me unbidden are far fresher and more imaginative than the ones I consciously seek out.” [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Quiet contemplation allows spontaneous, vivid ideas to surface, surpassing forced creativity. **In simple terms:** Stillness sparks fresh imagination. Key Takeaway Embrace periods of rest for creative insight. Themes creativity mindfulness reflection Mood calm inspired Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - writing - problem solving - artistic work - personal growth Key Concepts spontaneity unconscious thought Questions to Reflect On - How can you schedule intentional stillness? - What activities benefit from spontaneous ideas? A Different Perspective Stillness can lead to missed deadlines if overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Come Unbidden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-unbidden-1812866/) [Consciously Seek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciously-seek-5350456/) [Fresher Imaginative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fresher-imaginative-5350455/) [Imaginative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginative/) [Letting Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letting-mind-1144532/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relax/) [Relax Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relax-thoughts-5116218/) [Sitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sitting/) [Sitting still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sitting-still/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) ## Related quotes > [“Take note that you should focus on the act of moving and not on the surrounding scene. Therefore, feel how your feet touch and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rowland/take-note-that-you-should-focus-on-the-act-of-moving-and-not-on-the/) [Sarah Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rowland/) > [Some loves come unbidden like winds from the sea, and others grow from the seeds of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/some-loves-come-unbidden-like-winds-from-the-sea-and-others-grow-from/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [We come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death which, lest we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/we-come-unbidden-into-this-life-and-if-we-are-lucky-we-find-a-purpose-3/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [“We come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death, lest for forget,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/we-come-unbidden-into-this-life-and-if-we-are-lucky-we-find-a-purpose-2/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [In an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/in-an-age-of-constant-movement-nothing-is-more-urgent-than-sitting/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [In an age of speed, I began to think nothing could be more exhilarating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/in-an-age-of-speed-i-began-to-think-nothing-could-be-more/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [“I too closed to love you, but my mind keep dancing to two songs, maybe I should blame my heart by letting my mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wahab-oriyomi-osuolale/i-too-closed-to-love-you-but-my-mind-keep-dancing-to-two-songs-maybe/) [Wahab Oriyomi Osuolale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wahab-oriyomi-osuolale/) > [“If you want to retain sanity, the only thing you can do is look on without letting go of your mind, So that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-dowlatabadi/if-you-want-to-retain-sanity-the-only-thing-you-can-do-is-look-on/) [Mahmoud Dowlatabadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-dowlatabadi/) > [“In every religion there is always a touch of mystery. Letting the mind wander in unnecessary things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-every-religion-there-is-always-a-touch-of-mystery-letting-the-mind/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“Because sometimes it’s about letting go of what your mind tells you and following what your heart shows you instead. That’s how you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/because-sometimes-it-s-about-letting-go-of-what-your-mind-tells-you/) [T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/) > [It's been my experience that success in golf comes from not letting your mind wander from the shot you're about to hit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-woodland/it-s-been-my-experience-that-success-in-golf-comes-from-not-letting/) [Gary Woodland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-woodland/) > [In idling, the motor's running, but you're letting your mind take in anything. Things pop into it. Those are the gifts of subterranean conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-adler/in-idling-the-motor-s-running-but-you-re-letting-your-mind-take-in/) [Mortimer Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-adler/) > [I have a fear of letting my mind wander. I'm afraid it might not come back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-fear-of-letting-my-mind-wander-i-m-afraid-it-might-not-come/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The strange thing about love and letting go is, the mind usually lets go, while the heart holds on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/the-strange-thing-about-love-and-letting-go-is-the-mind-usually-lets/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [Chanting is a way of getting in touch with yourself. It's an opening of the heart and letting go of the mind and thoughts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/chanting-is-a-way-of-getting-in-touch-with-yourself-it-s-an-opening/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) ## More by Pico Iyer > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [For citizens who think themselves puppets in the hands of their rulers, nothing is more satisfying than having rulers as puppets in their hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/for-citizens-who-think-themselves-puppets-in-the-hands-of-their/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [The Dalai Lama would say that meditation is something that can help everyone. But he's aware that it can be misused or things can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-would-say-that-meditation-is-something-that-can-help/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Like any traveler, I'm always looking for those experiences that are almost unique to any place, and watching films around Alaska of the skies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/like-any-traveler-i-m-always-looking-for-those-experiences-that-are/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [“When you're hurrying around too quickly," he had said, "there's a part of the world you can't see. If, for example, you're taking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/when-you-re-hurrying-around-too-quickly-he-had-said-there-s-a-part-of/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/we-travel-to-open-our-hearts-and-eyes-and-learn-more-about-the-world/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [The Dalai Lama, these days, encourages Westerners not to take up Buddhism, partly because he feels that our roots are deep in other traditions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-these-days-encourages-westerners-not-to-take-up/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [And if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it's a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/and-if-travel-is-like-love-it-is-in-the-end-mostly-because-it-s-a/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [As soon as I began to talk to Dalai Lama, I realized that Chinese and Tibetans from his point of view are mostly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/as-soon-as-i-began-to-talk-to-dalai-lama-i-realized-that-chinese-and/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [When we are kids, we imagine that to define ourselves or to find ourselves means charting your own individuality, making your own destiny, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/when-we-are-kids-we-imagine-that-to-define-ourselves-or-to-find/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [A writer is a palmist, reading the lines of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/a-writer-is-a-palmist-reading-the-lines-of-the-planet/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [In barely one generation, we've moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/in-barely-one-generation-we-ve-moved-from-exulting-in-the-time-saving/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [For centuries, Cubas greatest resource has been its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/for-centuries-cubas-greatest-resource-has-been-its-people/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Writing is, in the end, that oddest of anomalies: an intimate letter to a stranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/writing-is-in-the-end-that-oddest-of-anomalies-an-intimate-letter-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [“Was it only through another that I could begin to get at myself?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/was-it-only-through-another-that-i-could-begin-to-get-at-myself/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) [Explore all 266 Pico Iyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) ## More Imaginative quotes > [Individually, museums are fine institutions, dedicated to the high values of preservation, education and truth; collectively, their growth in numbers points to the imaginative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/individually-museums-are-fine-institutions-dedicated-to-the-high/) [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) > [I definitely go through periods where I'm in a particular mood, or there's a consistent imaginative context that I feel I'm in, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/i-definitely-go-through-periods-where-i-m-in-a-particular-mood-or/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [When any civilization is dust and ashes," he said, "art is all that's left over. Images, words, music. Imaginative structures. Meaning—human meaning, that is—is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/when-any-civilization-is-dust-and-ashes-he-said-art-is-all-that-s/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [It is not necessary to have an extravagant food budget in order to serve things with variety and tastefully cooked. It is not necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-schaeffer/it-is-not-necessary-to-have-an-extravagant-food-budget-in-order-to/) [Edith Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-schaeffer/) > [Acting is an imaginative leap, really, isn't it? And imaginations prosper in different circumstances. And it's being able - I can't tell you how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/acting-is-an-imaginative-leap-really-isn-t-it-and-imaginations/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [I found so-called great art too pompous, too stiff. What at this time was called minor art was freer, more imaginative, more open to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lipchitz/i-found-so-called-great-art-too-pompous-too-stiff-what-at-this-time/) [Jacques Lipchitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lipchitz/) > [I'm not good at standing on platforms and persuading people to my political point of view. Nor would I seek to. My gift is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/i-m-not-good-at-standing-on-platforms-and-persuading-people-to-my/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [The religions of the world are the ejaculations of a few imaginative men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-religions-of-the-world-are-the-ejaculations-of-a-few-imaginative/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [On the surface the avant garde as a whole seems united primarily in terms of what they are against: the rejection of social institutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-innes/on-the-surface-the-avant-garde-as-a-whole-seems-united-primarily-in/) [C. D. Innes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-innes/) > [When we speak about trespassing, we speak about artistic trespassing. You have to be prudent and have common sense and a sense of responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/when-we-speak-about-trespassing-we-speak-about-artistic-trespassing/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [Halloween's coming. Kids get very imaginative in my neighborhood. Last year, three kids showed up as Goldman Sachs executives and demanded 4.5 billion pieces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/halloween-s-coming-kids-get-very-imaginative-in-my-neighborhood-last/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [On the spectrum of imagination, there are people who are more imaginative than others - I guess some kids are hardcore pretenders and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/on-the-spectrum-of-imagination-there-are-people-who-are-more/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [After all, reading is arguably a far more creative and imaginative process than writing; when the reader creates emotion in their head, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/after-all-reading-is-arguably-a-far-more-creative-and-imaginative/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [We have invented the literature because the reality wasn't imaginative enough and we also wanted to be alone, at least for a while!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-have-invented-the-literature-because-the-reality-wasn-t/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The nude does not simply represent the body, but relates it, by analogy, to all structures that have become part of our imaginative experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/the-nude-does-not-simply-represent-the-body-but-relates-it-by-analogy/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) [Browse all 519 Imaginative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And it’s only by going nowhere - by sitting still or letting my mind relax - that I find that the thoughts that come to me unbidden are far fresher and more imaginative than the ones I consciously seek out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pico Iyer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sitting-still-or-letting-my-mind/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Imaginative" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sitting-still-or-letting-my-mind/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/pico-iyer-1252_imaginative_and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sittin_1473034.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/pico-iyer-1252_imaginative_and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sittin_1473034.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b2/pico-iyer-1252_imaginative_and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sittin_1473034.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And it’s only by going nowhere - by sitting still or letting my mind relax - that I find that the thoughts…” — Pico Iyer", "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": "Pico Iyer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "And it’s only by going nowhere...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sitting-still-or-letting-my-mind/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/and-it-s-only-by-going-nowhere-by-sitting-still-or-letting-my-mind/#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 } } ] } ```