"Some people write for fifteen years with no success and then decide to quit. Don't look for success and don't quit. If you want writing, write under all circumstances. Success will or will not come, in this lifetime or the next. Success is none of our business. It comes from the outside. Our job is to write, to not look up from our notebook and wonder how much money Norman Mailer earns."
— Natalie Goldberg
American Writer
1948 -
The creative arts are not about fame and fortune. They are about creating. If success is what you seek then you ought to pursue another profession. For every actor who becomes rich, famous and invited to the Oscars, there are thousands who act in small community plays for the love of it. For every writer who reaches the best sellers list, there are thousands who toil daily with neither recognition nor financial rewards, simply for the love of writing. For every musician whose songs top the music charts, there are millions who sing at church or in the shower. Our work is to create, not to become rich and famous. Are you focused on creating or are you daydreaming about being rich and famous?
Here is Natalie Goldberg:
