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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
In If You Want to Write, Brenda Ueland writes with great reverence for the free, creative energy she believes is the key to writing well. She shows little love for the duty-ridden conscience that is the epitome of conscientious, work-oriented people. She believes that clinging to the duty and anxiety of daily life squelches creative power, and I tend to agree with her. Of course we must get more and more work done each day, but we can still find time to sit, clear our minds, and write.
Ueland truly believes everyone has talent, and that it only needs to be nurtured, protected from the critics both in the world and in the mind. Because she believes this, she writes from her True self (as she would describe it), and the revelations she has while writing from this place spark on almost every page.
Ueland truly believes everyone has talent, and that it only needs to be nurtured, protected from the critics both in the world and in the mind. Because she believes this, she writes from her True self (as she would describe it), and the revelations she has while writing from this place spark on almost every page.
inspiring
slow-paced
I picked this up for the "Gray[Wolf press] in May" challenge but didn't get to it right away. It is very old-timey, classist, and reads like listening to a "blowhard" who loves to talk at you but keeps spinning their wheels with endless examples of the same thing instead of delivering the content as promised. (A good editor would point out she'd already made her point instead of letting her go on chapter after chapter repeating herself). However, she does quote some inspiring passages from Van Gogh and from William Blake, and for that I was glad not to have to dig through all the primary sources of their writings to gather some great quotes.
Great book. Not just about writing, but about manifesting one's creativity. I reccomend it, even if you do not want to write.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
"[This] is what I urge all of you, and myself, to do: work and shine eternally."
This is a splendid little book. I will keep it in spite of the hot pink highlighting some other reader inflicted upon it. It made me want to be bold and brave--to create.
This is a splendid little book. I will keep it in spite of the hot pink highlighting some other reader inflicted upon it. It made me want to be bold and brave--to create.
First published in 1938 and again more recently in the 1980s, Brenda Ueland created a great book for struggling authors who may have hit a roadblock.
This book came highly recommended by a friend and I’m glad I took my time in reading it. Ueland takes much for the works of William Blake to stress her points thoughout the book, with the emphasis that every single person is talented and has something to say.
The one thing I took from this book that I want to put into practice in my own life more regularly and thoroughly is keeping a journal. Ueland quoted from her own many times to show that such mundane descriptions often turn into more and help a write find their creative flow.
I’ve always tried in the past to keep journals, but I’m hoping this book motivated me enough to actually start doing it.
This book came highly recommended by a friend and I’m glad I took my time in reading it. Ueland takes much for the works of William Blake to stress her points thoughout the book, with the emphasis that every single person is talented and has something to say.
The one thing I took from this book that I want to put into practice in my own life more regularly and thoroughly is keeping a journal. Ueland quoted from her own many times to show that such mundane descriptions often turn into more and help a write find their creative flow.
I’ve always tried in the past to keep journals, but I’m hoping this book motivated me enough to actually start doing it.
I feel that I would have really liked the woman who wrote this book. She was writing in the 30s, so it's important to read this as a historical artifact, but it remains a solidly good book on writing 80 years later. Ueland's central premise is that everyone has a creative spirit that needs to be expressed, and can result in good art. The key is to pursue your art simply for the joy of expression, rather than with the expectation of social, monetary, or egotistical gain. Ueland writes with a no-nonsense tone that I admire. She believes in writing as a healing craft that will enrich the lives of writers, no matter their background, education, or origins. She has some concrete tips for accessing your creative drive and developing a productive writing practise.
She has been criticized for being too religious and preachy, but her stated aim is to avoid preachy-ness and simply to help others unlock their creative potential without judgement. She sees harsh criticism as a death sentence for creativity. While she does refer to the creative muse as the Holy Spirit, I do not see her book as being fundamentally Christian. Her ideas of the spirit are all-encompassing and not tied to particular religious beliefs. Her choice of the Holy Spirit as a metaphor does not detract from the usefulness of her ideas, even for those with athiestic tendencies.
This is a short, lovely book on writing and I'm glad that I read it. It's available on Amazon as an e-book for $4 at the moment and was well worth the price.
She has been criticized for being too religious and preachy, but her stated aim is to avoid preachy-ness and simply to help others unlock their creative potential without judgement. She sees harsh criticism as a death sentence for creativity. While she does refer to the creative muse as the Holy Spirit, I do not see her book as being fundamentally Christian. Her ideas of the spirit are all-encompassing and not tied to particular religious beliefs. Her choice of the Holy Spirit as a metaphor does not detract from the usefulness of her ideas, even for those with athiestic tendencies.
This is a short, lovely book on writing and I'm glad that I read it. It's available on Amazon as an e-book for $4 at the moment and was well worth the price.
Very inspirational! Could easily apply the philosophy to all types of art!