Welcome to the world of Natalie Goldberg, a renowned American author, poet, teacher, and practitioner of writing as a Zen discipline. Throughout her career, Goldberg has offered profound insights into the craft of writing, creativity, and the human experience. Her unique blend of Zen philosophy and writing techniques has inspired countless aspiring writers to delve deeper into their creative selves and to approach writing as a journey of self-discovery.
Born in 1948, Natalie Goldberg’s journey as a writer has been shaped by her experiences studying with Zen masters in Japan and by her deep immersion in the practice of Zen meditation. Her seminal work, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, has become a classic in the field of writing instruction, offering practical advice, exercises, and reflections on the writing process. Goldberg’s teachings emphasize the importance of disciplined practice, the power of observation, and the liberation that comes from expressing one’s authentic voice.
On this page, we invite you to explore a curated selection of Natalie Goldberg quotes that encapsulate her wisdom, insight, and passion for writing. Whether you’re seeking motivation, guidance, or simply a moment of reflection, these quotes offer invaluable nuggets of inspiration for writers and creatives alike. Feel free to copy them, adorn them with stylish fonts, or use them to spark your own creative endeavors. Let Natalie Goldberg’s words be a beacon on your journey of self-expression and discovery.
Whether you’re keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it’s the same thing. What’s important is you’re having a relationship with your mind. Natalie Goldberg
Women need space and silence. We too quickly give away our energy. There’s something about holding that richness. Natalie Goldberg
Never underestimate people. They do desire the cut of truth. Natalie Goldberg
Trust in what you love, continue to do it, and it will take you where you need to go. Natalie Goldberg
I consider writing practice a true Zen practice because it all comes back at you. You can’t fool anyone because it’s on the page. Natalie Goldberg
When you are present, the world is truly alive. Natalie Goldberg
Sometimes when you think you are done, it is just the edge of beginning. Probably that’s why we decide we’re done. It’s getting too scary. We are touching down onto something real. It is beyond the point when you think you are done that often something strong comes out. Natalie Goldberg
When you write what you know, you stay in control. One of the first things I encourage my writing students to do is to lose control – say what they want to say, break structure. Natalie Goldberg
There’s no such thing as a writer’s block. If you’re having trouble writing, well, pick up the pen and write. No matter what, keep that hand moving. Writing is really a physical activity. Natalie Goldberg
Talk when you talk, walk when you walk, and die when you die. Natalie Goldberg
When you bring the darkness to the table, it doesn’t rule you or hurt other people, but when we keep it secret, it’s dangerous. Natalie Goldberg
If you feel bored or uncomfortable as you’re writing, ask yourself what’s bothering you and write about that. Sometimes your creative energy is like water in a kinked hose, and before thoughts can flow on the topic at hand, you have to straighten the hose by attending to whatever is preoccupying you. Natalie Goldberg
That’s very nice if they want to publish you, but don’t pay too much attention to it. It will toss you away. Just continue to write. Natalie Goldberg
Failure is what we’re all running from, we’re always running toward success with failure at our back. Natalie Goldberg
Read books. They are good for us. Natalie Goldberg
A writer’s job is to give the reader a larger vision of the world. Natalie Goldberg
I feel that ‘The Great Failure’ is really a book written out of great love and a willingness to face all of who a human being is. Natalie Goldberg
Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down. Natalie Goldberg
Women are wonderful, but they get so caught up about their body. We need to unhook from worrying so much. When I don’t feel good, I look in the mirror and think I look fat and miserable. But when I feel good and whole, I’m not worried about my body because I’m living in it. It doesn’t become an object. Natalie Goldberg
The correctness and quality of what you write do not matter; the act of writing does. Natalie Goldberg
Our job as writers is to listen, to come home to the four corners of the earth. Natalie Goldberg
Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make life so, right in the middle of it we die, lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce. Natalie Goldberg