Reading a book is one thing, but have you ever thought about what it would be like to write one? Natalie Goldberg tells what it is like to not only write, but to see the world through the eyes of a writer. As an author, teacher and speaker, she explains the art of putting a pencil to paper. She explores writing through Zen practice and personal experience. And almost 30 years after publishing this eye-opening book, she continues to share her stories with writers everywhere.
At first I was reluctant to read this book. A book about writing? Insane! But despite any first opinions I may have had, it made me think. It changes your perspective and wakes up your mind to a completely different way of seeing things. Towards the beginning of the book, Natalie wrote, “There was an article in the newspaper several years ago… about a yogi in India who ate a car. Not all at once, but slowly over a year’s time.” When I first read this, I was confused. But it made me come to the realization that if someone can eat a car, why should there be limits and rules in writing, or anything else for that matter? You don’t sit down and say, “This is what I am going to write and this is how I’m going to do it.” You sit down with an open mind and let a man eat a car. You let things be the way they end up. There is no doubt that if you are someone who writes for the pure joy of telling a story, you won’t be able to put this book down. It will change you as a writer and a person. It will show you that the boundaries between reality and creativity are almost invisible. As Natalie said in her book, “There is no separation between writing, life and mind. If you think big enough, to let people eat cars, you will be able to see that ants are elephants and men are women.”