--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm happy that I wrote 'How Should a…" description: "\"I'm happy that I wrote 'How Should a Person Be?' and I wouldn't have written that exact book if we had just done the play. So much of the book is about..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sheila-heti-2776_book_i-m-happy-that-i-wrote-how-should-a-pers_2604904.jpg" --- # I'm happy that I wrote 'How Should a Person Be?' and I… ![“I'm happy that I wrote 'How Should a Person Be?' and I wouldn't have written that exact book if we had just done the play. So much of the book is about the anxiety of failure - the failure of the play and the failure of the divorce and the failure of not feeling like a good person.” quote by Sheila Heti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sheila-heti-2776_book_i-m-happy-that-i-wrote-how-should-a-pers_2604904.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sheila-heti-2776_book_i-m-happy-that-i-wrote-how-should-a-pers_2604904.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/sheila-heti-2776_book_i-m-happy-that-i-wrote-how-should-a-pers_2604904.jpg) > “I'm happy that I wrote 'How Should a Person Be?' and I wouldn't have written that exact book if we had just done the play. So much of the book is about the anxiety of failure - the failure of the play and the failure of the divorce and the failure of not feeling like a good person.” [Sheila Heti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-heti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing reveals personal anxieties about failure, relationships, and self‑worth, turning vulnerability into art. **In simple terms:** Writing exposes anxiety. Key Takeaway Channel personal doubts into creative work. Themes creativity anxiety failure self‑reflection Mood introspective hopeful Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - novel writing - theatre - personal essays Key Concepts artistic process mental health Questions to Reflect On - What fears drive your creative process? - How can you balance vulnerability with confidence? A Different Perspective Focusing on anxiety may hinder productivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Good person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-person/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [Writing a book has about it some of the anxiety of telling a joke and having to wait several years to know whether or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/writing-a-book-has-about-it-some-of-the-anxiety-of-telling-a-joke-and/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [ I was genuinely happy when I wrote that song \[Training Wheels\] and very in love. 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I'm a much better person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/claiming-to-be-offended-is-a-great-way-to-elevate-yourself-at-the/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [I feel like I've made good friends with people I've worked with, but in terms of lasting inspiration, it is probably Matthew Vaughn who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/i-feel-like-i-ve-made-good-friends-with-people-i-ve-worked-with-but/) [Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/) ## More by Sheila Heti > [I believe there's a platonic ideal for every book that is written, like there's the perfect version of the book somewhere in the ether,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-heti/i-believe-there-s-a-platonic-ideal-for-every-book-that-is-written/) [Sheila Heti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-heti/) > [I really enjoyed the process of 'Women in Clothes,' but there's no way I would have done that again. 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