--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So, you know, when I think of survival as…" description: "\"So, you know, when I think of survival as a creative act, it's not trying to plaster over the isolation or to, you know, rewrite your predicament into ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/suleika-jaouad-6310_creative-act_so-you-know-when-i-think-of-survival-as_837423.jpg" --- # So, you know, when I think of survival as a creative act… ![“So, you know, when I think of survival as a creative act, it's not trying to plaster over the isolation or to, you know, rewrite your predicament into something positive with a happy ending or some kind of neat resolution. It's writing into the unknown.” quote by Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/suleika-jaouad-6310_creative-act_so-you-know-when-i-think-of-survival-as_837423.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/suleika-jaouad-6310_creative-act_so-you-know-when-i-think-of-survival-as_837423.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/suleika-jaouad-6310_creative-act_so-you-know-when-i-think-of-survival-as_837423.jpg) > “So, you know, when I think of survival as a creative act, it's not trying to plaster over the isolation or to, you know, rewrite your predicament into something positive with a happy ending or some kind of neat resolution. It's writing into the unknown.” [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Frames survival as a creative, uncertain process rather than forced positivity, embracing the unknown **In simple terms:** Survival is creative, not about forced optimism Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty as a space for creative survival Themes creativity uncertainty survival authenticity Mood introspective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal loss - artistic creation - mental health coping - life transitions Key Concepts existential art psychological resilience narrative therapy Questions to Reflect On - How can creative uncertainty be harnessed constructively? - What practices help navigate unknowns without despair? A Different Perspective Risk of nihilism if not balanced with hope ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-act/) [Ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ending/) [Happy ending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-ending/) [Isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Predicament Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predicament-positive-612865/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Survival Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-creative-612863/) [Think Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-survival-612862/) [Writing Unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-unknown-612864/) ## Related quotes > [Writing about unknown people means I spend a lot of time arguing to the reader about why it's worth knowing about them. That's challenging,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/writing-about-unknown-people-means-i-spend-a-lot-of-time-arguing-to/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Writing is not an unknown territory for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/writing-is-not-an-unknown-territory-for-me/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I like language, words. And I think the survival skills I've developed over the years have added a lot to my perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sixto-rodriguez/i-like-language-words-and-i-think-the-survival-skills-i-ve-developed/) [Sixto Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sixto-rodriguez/) > [I think survival, with agency intact, is heroic for anyone or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-wright/i-think-survival-with-agency-intact-is-heroic-for-anyone-or-anything/) [Jeffrey Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-wright/) > [Quite often when you help poor people, they don't think about the environment. They think about survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/quite-often-when-you-help-poor-people-they-don-t-think-about-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [Perhaps the meaning of all human activity lies in the artistic consciousness, in the pointless and selfless creative act? Perhaps our capacity to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/perhaps-the-meaning-of-all-human-activity-lies-in-the-artistic/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [Creativity is not a solitary movement. That is its power. Whatever is touched by it, whoever hears it, sees it, senses it, knows it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/creativity-is-not-a-solitary-movement-that-is-its-power-whatever-is/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [“But in a few years more perhaps there may be; for, deep within us as the ghost instinct lurks, I seem to see it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/but-in-a-few-years-more-perhaps-there-may-be-for-deep-within-us-as/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“You did not do my homework assignment for me,” he said, grabbing the collage again and looking it over. “I had insomnia,” I said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/you-did-not-do-my-homework-assignment-for-me-he-said-grabbing-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-creative-act-is-not-performed-by-the-artist-alone-the-spectator/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [In my own case, I'm an artist, and I'm really interested in expanding the vocabulary of human action, and basically empowering people through interactivity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golan-levin/in-my-own-case-i-m-an-artist-and-i-m-really-interested-in-expanding/) [Golan Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golan-levin/) > [Every culture, if its natural development is not too much affected by political restrictions, experiences a perpetual renewal of the formative urge, and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/every-culture-if-its-natural-development-is-not-too-much-affected-by/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Half of the pleasure of painting and feeling the joy of the creative act is sharing it with others and the feeling of connection.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-genn/half-of-the-pleasure-of-painting-and-feeling-the-joy-of-the-creative/) [Sara Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-genn/) > [“As you will see, we do not believe that artists have an obligation to strike up attitudes to the war. Indeed, they are wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/as-you-will-see-we-do-not-believe-that-artists-have-an-obligation-to/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) ## More by Suleika Jaouad > [With a Catholic mother and a Muslim father, I've always had a great interest in religion, but I've never practiced one myself. After I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/with-a-catholic-mother-and-a-muslim-father-i-ve-always-had-a-great/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [It felt like 10 years, but I was actually in treatment for three-and-a-half years. I finally finished in April. Two years ago, I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/it-felt-like-10-years-but-i-was-actually-in-treatment-for-three-and-a/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [There are days when I even long for the paralegal job that once upon a time made me so miserable. It wasn't the perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/there-are-days-when-i-even-long-for-the-paralegal-job-that-once-upon/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [When I finally returned home after my five-week hospitalization, I could feel the stares of strangers on my bald head and thinning eyebrows. Everywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/when-i-finally-returned-home-after-my-five-week-hospitalization-i/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [The bone marrow transplant procedure itself can be dangerous, but it is swift, which makes it feel strangely anti-climactic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/the-bone-marrow-transplant-procedure-itself-can-be-dangerous-but-it/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [Even amid the shock of my diagnosis, I held onto the hope that I'd be able to make the most of my down time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/even-amid-the-shock-of-my-diagnosis-i-held-onto-the-hope-that-i-d-be/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [I'll never go so far to call cancer a gift. It's a really terrible disease. It's taken the lives of so many of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/i-ll-never-go-so-far-to-call-cancer-a-gift-it-s-a-really-terrible/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [I think often when we talk about things like cancer, the kind of final act at the end of the story comes with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/i-think-often-when-we-talk-about-things-like-cancer-the-kind-of-final/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [Before my diagnosis with leukemia, two years ago at the age of 22, I'd always excelled at making resolutions. But I was never as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/before-my-diagnosis-with-leukemia-two-years-ago-at-the-age-of-22-i-d/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [Like a lot of other young people, I never thought about health insurance until I got sick. I was 22, and my adult life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/like-a-lot-of-other-young-people-i-never-thought-about-health/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [And there came a point in my treatment where I couldn't see that end in sight. And that was the most challenging, I think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/and-there-came-a-point-in-my-treatment-where-i-couldn-t-see-that-end/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [But no conversation between doctor and patient can magically turn an uninsured patient into an insured one. Doctors are just as helpless as patients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/but-no-conversation-between-doctor-and-patient-can-magically-turn-an/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [Cancer magnifies the in-betweenness of young adulthood: You're not a child anymore, yet you're not fully ready to live in the adult world, either.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/cancer-magnifies-the-in-betweenness-of-young-adulthood-you-re-not-a/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [I get along well with my medical team and I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. But the idea of discussing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/i-get-along-well-with-my-medical-team-and-i-have-a-tremendous-amount/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [For the better half of my early 20s, I was Bubble Girl. When I found out I had leukemia at 22 my world suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/for-the-better-half-of-my-early-20s-i-was-bubble-girl-when-i-found/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) [Explore all 99 Suleika Jaouad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) ## More Creative act quotes > [“As you will see, we do not believe that artists have an obligation to strike up attitudes to the war. Indeed, they are wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/as-you-will-see-we-do-not-believe-that-artists-have-an-obligation-to/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [Half of the pleasure of painting and feeling the joy of the creative act is sharing it with others and the feeling of connection.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-genn/half-of-the-pleasure-of-painting-and-feeling-the-joy-of-the-creative/) [Sara Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-genn/) > [Every culture, if its natural development is not too much affected by political restrictions, experiences a perpetual renewal of the formative urge, and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/every-culture-if-its-natural-development-is-not-too-much-affected-by/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [In my own case, I'm an artist, and I'm really interested in expanding the vocabulary of human action, and basically empowering people through interactivity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golan-levin/in-my-own-case-i-m-an-artist-and-i-m-really-interested-in-expanding/) [Golan Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golan-levin/) > [“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-creative-act-is-not-performed-by-the-artist-alone-the-spectator/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [“You did not do my homework assignment for me,” he said, grabbing the collage again and looking it over. “I had insomnia,” I said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/you-did-not-do-my-homework-assignment-for-me-he-said-grabbing-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“But in a few years more perhaps there may be; for, deep within us as the ghost instinct lurks, I seem to see it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/but-in-a-few-years-more-perhaps-there-may-be-for-deep-within-us-as/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Creativity is not a solitary movement. That is its power. Whatever is touched by it, whoever hears it, sees it, senses it, knows it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/creativity-is-not-a-solitary-movement-that-is-its-power-whatever-is/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [Perhaps the meaning of all human activity lies in the artistic consciousness, in the pointless and selfless creative act? Perhaps our capacity to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/perhaps-the-meaning-of-all-human-activity-lies-in-the-artistic/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [Educationists and teachers should think how they could play a role in making students spend time doing creative activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirron-kher/educationists-and-teachers-should-think-how-they-could-play-a-role-in/) [Kirron Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirron-kher/) > [“In this world is not the creative act of the genius always a protest against the inertia of the mass?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/in-this-world-is-not-the-creative-act-of-the-genius-always-a-protest/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Do you ever make silly mistakes? It is one of my very few creative activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-deighton/do-you-ever-make-silly-mistakes-it-is-one-of-my-very-few-creative/) [Len Deighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-deighton/) > [Only in our creative acts do we step forth into the light and see ourselves whole and complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/only-in-our-creative-acts-do-we-step-forth-into-the-light-and-see/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [By the creative act, we are able to reach beyond our own death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/by-the-creative-act-we-are-able-to-reach-beyond-our-own-death/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) [Browse all 250 Creative act quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-act/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So, you know, when I think of survival as a creative act, it's not trying to plaster over the isolation or to, you know, rewrite your predicament into something positive with a happy ending or some kind of neat resolution. 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