--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There have been times when I'm writing…" description: "\"There have been times when I'm writing about things that are personally embarrassing. Like any human being, sometimes I can't help but wonder - 'What a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/william-t-vollmann-2100_about_there-have-been-times-when-i-m-writing-a_2259141.png" --- # There have been times when I'm writing about things that… ![“There have been times when I'm writing about things that are personally embarrassing. Like any human being, sometimes I can't help but wonder - 'What are the people I know going to think about this?' So I have to remind myself that all is permissible. Art has to be a free space. Language has to be…” quote by William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/william-t-vollmann-2100_about_there-have-been-times-when-i-m-writing-a_2259141.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/william-t-vollmann-2100_about_there-have-been-times-when-i-m-writing-a_2259141.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/william-t-vollmann-2100_about_there-have-been-times-when-i-m-writing-a_2259141.png) > “There have been times when I'm writing about things that are personally embarrassing. Like any human being, sometimes I can't help but wonder - 'What are the people I know going to think about this?' So I have to remind myself that all is permissible. Art has to be a free space. Language has to be a free space.” [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative work often feels vulnerable; embracing openness frees art and language, allowing authentic expression despite fear of judgment. **In simple terms:** Art should be free from fear. Key Takeaway Create without self‑censorship. Themes creativity vulnerability freedom authenticity Mood courageous introspective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - writing personal essays - public speaking - performance art - online content creation Key Concepts artistic expression psychology social norms Questions to Reflect On - What holds you back from expressing truth? - How can you protect yourself while staying authentic? A Different Perspective Fear of judgment can still limit risk‑taking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Embarrassing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarrassing/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-space-1476924/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-being/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Permissible Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permissible-art-5190931/) [Personally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personally/) [Remind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remind/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Personally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-personally-1164870/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-things/) ## Related quotes > [I think the online space can be a free space, in that we are not reliant online on the publishing industry or readers who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-zambreno/i-think-the-online-space-can-be-a-free-space-in-that-we-are-not/) [Kate Zambreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-zambreno/) > [The mind is like a room that is always full with all sorts of stuff. There is no free space there. When it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-mind-is-like-a-room-that-is-always-full-with-all-sorts-of-stuff/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The fight for free space-for wilderness and for public space-must be accompanied by a fight for free time to spend wandering in that space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-fight-for-free-space-for-wilderness-and-for-public-space-must-be/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Normally, one is only conscious of the room around one, but when no-one else is present, one's awareness is free to fill all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-r-king/normally-one-is-only-conscious-of-the-room-around-one-but-when-no-one/) [Laurie R. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-r-king/) > [Public libraries are the last vestige of public free space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-prince-ramus/public-libraries-are-the-last-vestige-of-public-free-space/) [Joshua Prince-Ramus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-prince-ramus/) > [A person really could find himself when he is truly kind to himself by offering free space in his heart to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj-somany/a-person-really-could-find-himself-when-he-is-truly-kind-to-himself-2/) [Anuj Somany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj-somany/) > [Because you can get free of everything except the space where things have been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/because-you-can-get-free-of-everything-except-the-space-where-things/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [“Because I clearly measured in dungeon cells now, I’d have to say there were at least six cells worth of free space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raye-wagner/because-i-clearly-measured-in-dungeon-cells-now-i-d-have-to-say-there/) [Raye Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raye-wagner/) > [To touch and feel each thing in the world, to know it by sight and by name, and then to know it with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/to-touch-and-feel-each-thing-in-the-world-to-know-it-by-sight-and-by/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [As long as we dont forgive people who have hurt us, they occupy a RENT-FREE SPACE IN OUR MIND.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/as-long-as-we-dont-forgive-people-who-have-hurt-us-they-occupy-a-rent/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I'm in this process of trying to create a free space. Like an open field, where figure and ground are in very ambivalent, complex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sillman/i-m-in-this-process-of-trying-to-create-a-free-space-like-an-open/) [Amy Sillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sillman/) > [As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy a rent-free space in your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-holland/as-long-as-you-don-t-forgive-who-and-whatever-it-is-will-occupy-a/) [Isabelle Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-holland/) > [As long as we don't forgive people who have hurt us, they occupy a RENT-FREE space in our mind!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya/as-long-as-we-don-t-forgive-people-who-have-hurt-us-they-occupy-a/) [Divya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya/) > [Nobody takes things more personally than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/nobody-takes-things-more-personally-than-me/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Controlling what we do, the little things, personally that is so important for me - because the little things, they add up and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-white/controlling-what-we-do-the-little-things-personally-that-is-so/) [Ben White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-white/) ## More by William T. 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Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [It will be fun to give some to prostitutes,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/it-will-be-fun-to-give-some-to-prostitutes/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [If I didn't feel that I was doing something or trying to do something for others, then I would have very little excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/if-i-didn-t-feel-that-i-was-doing-something-or-trying-to-do-something/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Just for the hell of it, try to love someone as unlike you as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/just-for-the-hell-of-it-try-to-love-someone-as-unlike-you-as-possible/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“The shortest man, codenamed RIMSKY, said to me that freedom means understanding our place within the laws of history; we are more free when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/the-shortest-man-codenamed-rimsky-said-to-me-that-freedom-means/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“Do you want to know what happiness is? Happiness is the absence of unpleasant information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/do-you-want-to-know-what-happiness-is-happiness-is-the-absence-of/) [William T. 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