If You Want to Write

Leave a comment below with your top 3-5 picks! To be clear, they are siblings and require the same surname:) My brain is so fried so I appreciate the help haha🙏🫶 THE vibe is Wild West!

jenniferw88 Mckenzie, Mccain and Blythe 8mo

Kelsue Walker, Kelly, McKenzie 😀 8mo

idealityandme @Kelsue im sensing a little bias?🤷‍♀️😂 8mo

4 likes3 comments

rachelk

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

“During his life he (Van Gogh) made only 109 dollars in all on his paintings. They are now worth about two million dollars.” — Brenda Ueland, 1938

‘The Starry Night‘ alone is worth well over 100 million dollars now, but the point Ueland makes is that true creative impulse (which she believes we all have) comes from passion, enthusiasm, love and a need to express something sincerely — not the desire to impress others or be rewarded.

BarbaraBB Yesterday I visited a Klimt exhibition in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. There was a painting by Klimt which Oprah bought for 80 million dollars and a few years later sold for 160 million…. 😱 1y

rachelk @BarbaraBB Wow! I‘ve read that Warren Buffet doesn‘t believe in investing in art as a financial strategy, but I wonder if something like that might give him pause?! 🤯 1y

DivineDiana Fascinating and @BarbaraBB Fascinating! 1y

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BarbaraBB For Oprah it did work obviously 😂 I don‘t know if it‘s true but I was told this story by the curator of the exhibition, so I guess it is. So much money!! As if she needed to sell it 😱 @DivineDiana 1y

rachelk @BarbaraBB Seems like everything she touches turns to gold! @DivineDiana Fascinating indeed! 1y

DivineDiana @BarbaraBB It is true according to Artnet. How fabulous that you were able to visit the Van Gogh Exhibit! https://news.artnet.com/market/oprah-sells-famed-gustav-klimt-portrait-150-milli... (edited) 1y

BarbaraBB @DivineDiana I live nearby so it‘s easy for me! Thanks for the research, glad to know it‘s true! 1y

DivineDiana @BarbaraBB How nice! You‘re welcome! ❤️ 1y

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idealityandme

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

pick

Infinity out of 5 stars🌟

What an incredible read. If you need a pick-me-up or some inspo for your life or advice...this is that book. It's an oldie (1930s) but a goodie. Very thought provoking.

#WEH #MOI

1 like

idealityandme

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

"all people, have the same light in them, have their own creative power in them, if they would only come to see it, respect it and let it out."

"she has true self-respect and boldness and will stand up for the intelligence, the light, the gift that is in her, no matter what happens in this life or in the life eternal."

This book is so much more than a book about writing♡

1 like

idealityandme

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

"For nothing is pleasing to God except the invention of beautiful and exalted things."
-William Blake
(quoted by Brenda Ueland)

idealityandme

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

♡♡♡

1 like

Sunraven

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

“If you write a bad story, the way to make it better is to write three more.”

#writing
#creativity
#writingtips

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Sunraven

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

How could I not love this book? The laws of the universe demand that I love it.

#writing #creativity #inspiration #favoritebooks

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Sunraven

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

Does this make the author seem crabby, out of context? I always read her as compassionate and sensible, but the world of unkind, prissy Criticalness she mentions feels like exactly the force I‘m struggling against right now.

#writing #creativity

jchawkins Yeah she's using a lot of emotional words there. By the way, have you read

Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction

Sunraven @jchawkins: I haven‘t, although it‘s somewhere on one of my wish lists ... which one, I don‘t know. 😉 Looks like the library has it, anyway, so it‘s on one of my to-be-requested lists now. Thanks for the reminder! ✨

I always think that one of Brenda Ueland‘s strengths is that she‘s not afraid to be boldly emotional, but without going all the way to peevish or whiny or showy or self-pitying ... or any number of other things. 😆 (edited) 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven oh good! The first two chapters of that book totally changed my relationship with my creativity, so hopefully they will help you too. 😊 And idk, maybe it's a validation thing? Like, I feel this way too,it's ok to be pissy about the way the world is sometimes? 5y

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Sunraven @jchawkins: Yeah, I generally think feelings (including negative ones) deserve respect, since they‘re part of a personal truth. Of course, I try to differentiate between personal and universal truth, too, since that seems realistic to me, and I think Ueland would understand that. 5y

Sunraven @jchawkins: (Ran out of space in that comment, haha.)

Also re: personal truth, part of mine is my increasingly wonky relationship with creativity — it‘s just gotten worse over time, along with other identity issues of which I‘m super aware. That seems backwards, but I often am. 😆 I‘m trying to push everything back toward healthy, and anything that helps is good, so I‘ll definitely check that book out. 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven hey, it's a wave form. Better then worse then better again. The awareness is key. You seem super thoughtful, so I don't doubt you'll get where you wanna go with it! 5y

Sunraven @jchawkins: Sometimes my resources (or lack thereof) are a pretty severe mismatch with my thoughtfulness, or else I probably would not have gotten so far into the Land of Wonk ... 😉 But hey, I like waves, and I still want to learn to surf someday. Maybe this will be good practice. 🏄🏻‍♀️ 5y

5 likes7 comments

Sunraven

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

Obviously I‘ve read this one before. 😉 Even though I have lots of library books waiting and books in progress, my recent struggles with writing are pointing me back to basics. This book has helped me clarify and center my creative identity every time I read it, and hopefully it will help now. 💕 Here I go again!

#writing #creativity

5 likes

jb72

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

#grateful21 #books #lucky #loveusedbooks
📖 booksales
🏛 libraries
📚 25 new used books

Eggs

Eggs Lovely!! Nice haul ❣️ 5y

jb72 @Eggs Thanks! I love used books. 5y

8 likes2 comments

Christine

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

pick

I LOVE this book so, so much. Just did my annual reread, and honestly I should probably reread it more often. The perfect reset and inspiration, for writing and/or for living.

Reggie Have you written a book? 5y

Christine @Reggie No!! Well technically yes bc I wrote a dissertation for grad school, but not a book anyone would actually want to read. 😛 Have you? 5y

Reggie No, I have not. But if you ever write one and are looking for first readers I would love to read your book. 5y

Christine @Reggie Aww you are so sweet! Right back at you - I love the way you write and would eagerly read any book you wrote. 5y

Lindy I have a soft spot in my heart for this book. 😊 5y

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kidamy

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

Today I learned why I'm such a great writer! It's because I neglect my housework!
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#imsogreat #seriouslyyouguys

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Rachael_reads

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

#bookmail
☺ ☺
It seems like this has a decent amount of positive reviews. I'm excited!

Lindy Yes, this one had a powerful effect on my own writing and also how I read and edit other people's work. (edited) 7y

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GlitteryOtters

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

Litsy, I love you for introducing me to so many amazing books, but I doubt I will ever be able to read all the books I want to if I keep stacking them at this rate! 😂 Six new & amazing sounding books stacked today alone! Even if I had no other obligations, there is no way I can read six books a day. Why are there more good books to read than available time and energy to do so?! #iblamelitsy #blameitonlitsy

Suet624 That's what I keep thinking!!! I never realized how many great books I hadn't read yet! 7y

Suzze You added more than I did today. I am trying really hard to not look up the 4 of those that I haven't read yet. Think I can do it? Me neither. 7y

GlitteryOtters @Suet624 I thought, because I worked several years at a bookstore, majored in English and still keep an eye on the publishing industry that I was pretty highly informed on good books available to me. Nowadays, I find myself thinking that maybe I have a decent basic grasp of the good books, but I'm only self informed on the "basic" level & I need Litsy to take me to "advanced" level! ?? 7y

GlitteryOtters @Suzze they are all so dang good! There were another 4 I was somewhat interested in, but not *extremely* interested in, so I passed on adding those ones. 😂😂 Too many awesome books out there in the Litsiverse! 7y

Suet624 @GlitteryOtters hahaha. I think you've got it right...a decent basic grasp of the good books. Rats. 7y

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Zelma

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

This little gem from the 1930s is my inspiration pick for today. It's a philosophical writing manual and focuses on the reasons to write and the larger picture of writing rather than mechanics. It inspired me when writing was my creative outlet in my early twenties. #photoadayNov16

valeriegeary Oh I love love love this book! It revolutionized the way I approached my own writing! Good pick. 7y

Zelma @valeriegeary thanks! And I'm so excited it had such on impact on you. I love how straight-forward it is without being dry or harsh. Just a great little book that is much more than it looks. 7y

GlitteryOtters I'm gonna tag it for my fellow #nanowrimo folk, because this looks right up my alley & might be of interest to some of them (added it to the TBR list!) 7y

Zelma @GlitteryOtters 👍 thanks! I thought about tagging it but wasn't sure if it was ok to tag books under that hashtag or if it was limited to writing. I played it safe. 7y

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Christine

If You Want to Write | Brenda Ueland

Fun Friday Photo pick - the loveliest little book about creativity and work and joyful living! My copy is full of highlights. Her writing is so precious and plainspoken and full of deep yet practical wisdom. One of the few books I can re-read at least annually.

Liberty

Christine A favorite quote - "Know that it is good to work. Work with love and think of liking it when you do it. It is easy and interesting. It is a privilege. There is nothing hard about it but your anxious vanity and fear of failure." ❤️ 8y

Lindy A favourite of mine too - the book and the quote. Thanks for posting. 😀 8y

AmyWrites I just adore this book! It's always felt like having a kind friend sitting next to me, encouraging me, every time I read it. 8y

AmyWrites @Christine I love that quote! 8y

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