--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have great difficulty sitting in the…" description: "\"I have great difficulty sitting in the middle of the night and writing. Everything I do comes spontaneous. Sometimes it takes a long time; sometimes it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/ravi-shankar-17238_difficulty_i-have-great-difficulty-sitting-in-the-m_605849.jpg" --- # I have great difficulty sitting in the middle of the night… ![“I have great difficulty sitting in the middle of the night and writing. Everything I do comes spontaneous. Sometimes it takes a long time; sometimes it comes just like that.” quote by Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/ravi-shankar-17238_difficulty_i-have-great-difficulty-sitting-in-the-m_605849.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/ravi-shankar-17238_difficulty_i-have-great-difficulty-sitting-in-the-m_605849.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/ravi-shankar-17238_difficulty_i-have-great-difficulty-sitting-in-the-m_605849.jpg) > “I have great difficulty sitting in the middle of the night and writing. Everything I do comes spontaneous. Sometimes it takes a long time; sometimes it comes just like that.” [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Spontaneous creativity often strikes at odd hours, making disciplined writing difficult. **In simple terms:** Creative bursts are unpredictable. Key Takeaway Embrace spontaneity, but set regular writing times. Themes creativity night work discipline Mood reflective inspired Type advice personal When to use this quote - late night writing - artistic projects - journaling - research writing Key Concepts flow state creative process Questions to Reflect On - How can you capture spontaneous ideas reliably? - What routine could balance spontaneity with productivity? A Different Perspective Spontaneity can lead to inconsistency and burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty/) [Difficulty Sitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty-sitting-4930415/) [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle of the night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-of-the-night/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Night Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-writing-2276010/) [Sitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sitting/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Spontaneous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spontaneous/) [Spontaneous Takes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spontaneous-takes-4930414/) [Takes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/takes/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-comes/) ## Related quotes > [I never really wanted to be a daily critic who goes out every night and writes 300 word reviews, I wanted to write essays.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-giddins/i-never-really-wanted-to-be-a-daily-critic-who-goes-out-every-night/) [Gary Giddins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-giddins/) > [“Writers who spend all night writing, addicted to caffeine and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes, are a myth, Marcus. You have to be disciplined. It’s exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-l-dicker/writers-who-spend-all-night-writing-addicted-to-caffeine-and-smoking/) [Joël Dicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-l-dicker/) > [Sometimes when I do stand-up the night before and I'm in a writing room the next day, I'm sharper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robby-hoffman/sometimes-when-i-do-stand-up-the-night-before-and-i-m-in-a-writing/) [Robby Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robby-hoffman/) > [Late night writing is also good, too, but in New York, you've got neighbors. I try to be a good neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-bareilles/late-night-writing-is-also-good-too-but-in-new-york-you-ve-got/) [Sara Bareilles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-bareilles/) > [“For all I know, writing comes out of a superior devotion to reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/for-all-i-know-writing-comes-out-of-a-superior-devotion-to-reading/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [When you're writing, I think a big part of writing comes out of an attempt to understand yourself. You're dealing with emotions and thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-heti/when-you-re-writing-i-think-a-big-part-of-writing-comes-out-of-an/) [Sheila Heti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-heti/) > [True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, as those who move easiest have learned to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/true-ease-in-writing-comes-from-art-not-chance-as-those-who-move/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [I think if the writing comes too easily, it shows - it's usually hard to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-kidder/i-think-if-the-writing-comes-too-easily-it-shows-it-s-usually-hard-to/) [Tracy Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-kidder/) > [I learned to write by listening to people talk. I still feel that the best of my writing comes from having heard rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayl-jones/i-learned-to-write-by-listening-to-people-talk-i-still-feel-that-the/) [Gayl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayl-jones/) > [“I've worked really hard to make myself a better writer. I don't think writing is something that comes to people naturally; it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-nixon/i-ve-worked-really-hard-to-make-myself-a-better-writer-i-don-t-think/) [Nathan Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-nixon/) > [All good writing comes out of aloneness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/all-good-writing-comes-out-of-aloneness/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [“The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing; one comes to the country of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-real-importance-of-reading-is-that-it-creates-an-ease-and/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Because I'm an art historian, I have some experience of writing that comes out of close attention. That's what really art history is. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/because-i-m-an-art-historian-i-have-some-experience-of-writing-that/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/writing-comes-from-reading-and-reading-is-the-finest-teacher-of-how/) [Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/) > [ Often the block \[in writing\] comes from the wall of words that keep out the simplicity of sense. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gopnik/often-the-block-in-writing-comes-from-the-wall-of-words-that-keep-out/) [Adam Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gopnik/) ## More by Ravi Shankar > [What Sri Chinmoy does is God-given! He has a tremendous, a fantastic creative urge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/what-sri-chinmoy-does-is-god-given-he-has-a-tremendous-a-fantastic/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [In our culture we have such respect for musical instruments, they are like part of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/in-our-culture-we-have-such-respect-for-musical-instruments-they-are/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [One single raga can be performed for two hours, three hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/one-single-raga-can-be-performed-for-two-hours-three-hours/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [I will keep playing as long as my body lets me, and as long as I'm wanted by my listeners. 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And I don't really believe in owning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/i-love-the-work-of-matisse-and-picasso-but-i-don-t-have-enough/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [Pop changes week to week, month to month. But great music is like literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/pop-changes-week-to-week-month-to-month-but-great-music-is-like/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [I try to give to my music the spiritual quality, very deep in the soul, which does something even if you are not realizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/i-try-to-give-to-my-music-the-spiritual-quality-very-deep-in-the-soul/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [In the U.K., classical music is composed by individuals and written down. Indian music is based on certain sequences called ragas. When I perform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/in-the-u-k-classical-music-is-composed-by-individuals-and-written/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [I appreciate very much Vilayat Khan, the sitar player, and Bismillah Khan, the shehnai player; and among the tabla players, of course, Alla Rakha,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/i-appreciate-very-much-vilayat-khan-the-sitar-player-and-bismillah/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [The music that I have learned and want to give is like worshipping God. It's absolutely like a prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/the-music-that-i-have-learned-and-want-to-give-is-like-worshipping/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [My secret ambition was always to provide music for animation films: something with an Indian theme, either a fairy tale or mythological tale or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/my-secret-ambition-was-always-to-provide-music-for-animation-films/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [I enjoy seeing other Indian musicians - old and young - coming to Europe and America and having some success. I'm happy to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/i-enjoy-seeing-other-indian-musicians-old-and-young-coming-to-europe/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [I was admired by all these hippies, and it was wonderful playing at Monterey and Woodstock, performing for half a million people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/i-was-admired-by-all-these-hippies-and-it-was-wonderful-playing-at/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) [Explore all 37 Ravi Shankar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) ## More Difficulty quotes > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. 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Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) [Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [One of the difficulties of photography is that it is much better at being explicit than at being reticent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/one-of-the-difficulties-of-photography-is-that-it-is-much-better-at/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [There is usually no dreamer so unworldly as the anthologist. 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