“We should write as we dream; we should even try and write, we should all do it for ourselves, it’s very healthy, because it’s the only place where we never lie. At night we don’t lie. Now if we think that our whole lives are built on lying-they are strange buildings-we should try and write as our dreams teach us; shamelessly, fearlessly, and by facing what is inside very human being-sheer violence, disgust, terror, shit, invention, poetry. In our dreams we are criminals; we kill, and we kill with a lot of enjoyment. But we are also the happiest people on earth; we make love as we never make love in life.”
Explore This Quote Further
Hélène Cixous on Writing as Dreaming
Hélène Cixous encourages writers to draw inspiration from their dreams, which she believes reveal our true selves without any pretense. By embracing the raw emotions and experiences found in dreams, writers can create authentic and powerful works that resonate with readers.
Quote Analysis
In this quote by Hélène Cixous, she emphasizes the importance of writing authentically and truthfully, drawing parallels between writing and dreaming. Cixous suggests that writing is a means of accessing our innermost thoughts and desires without the constraints of societal norms or expectations. By writing as we dream, she believes we can tap into a raw and uninhibited form of expression that reveals the true essence of our being. Cixous challenges us to embrace the darkness and vulnerability within ourselves, including our primal instincts and fears, in order to create honest and powerful narratives. She celebrates the freedom and liberation that comes from writing with unabashed honesty, encouraging us to explore the depths of our imagination and emotions without fear.
Modern Relevance of Hélène Cixous' Words
In today's fast-paced and image-driven society, Hélène Cixous' words about writing as we dream and confronting our innermost emotions and fears hold great relevance. In a world where authenticity is often overshadowed by curated online personas and societal expectations, Cixous' call to write shamelessly and fearlessly serves as a reminder to stay true to ourselves and explore the depths of our subconscious. By embracing our dreams and inner thoughts, we can tap into a source of creativity and honesty that is essential for personal growth and self-expression.
Reflection Questions:
Exploring our dreams and writing from a place of raw honesty can be a powerful and transformative experience. As we delve into the depths of our subconscious, we may uncover truths about ourselves that we may not be consciously aware of. Reflecting on Hélène Cixous' words, consider the following questions:
- How do your dreams reflect your innermost thoughts and desires?
- In what ways can writing help us confront and embrace the darker aspects of ourselves?
- Do you believe that writing allows us to access a more authentic version of ourselves?
- How can the act of writing, especially from a place of vulnerability, contribute to our personal growth and self-discovery?
- Are there any hesitations or fears you have about writing honestly and shamelessly? If so, what are they and how can you work through them?
Similar quotes
“When I write, all those that we don’t know we can be write themselves from me, without exclusion, without prediction, and everything that we will be calls us to the tireless, intoxicating, tender-costly-search for love. We will never lack ourselves.”
“The only book that is worth writing is the one we don’t have the courage or strength to write. The book that hurts us (we who are writing), that makes us tremble, redden, bleed”
“When I write, it's everything that we don't know we can be that is written out of me, without exclusions, without stipulation, and everything we will be calls us to the unflagging, intoxicating, unappeasable search for love. In one another we will never be lacking.”
“We should write because it is human nature to write. Writing claims our world. It makes it directly and specifically our own. We should write because humans are spiritual beings and writing is a powerful form of prayer and meditation, connecting us both to our own insights and to a higher and deeper level of inner guidance.We should write because writing brings clarity and passion to the act of living. Writing is sensual, experiential, grounding. We should write because writing is good for the soul. We should write because writing yields us a body of work, a felt path through the world we live in. We should write, above all, because we are writers, whether we call ourselves that or not.”
“And why don't you write? Write! Writing is for you, you are for you; your body is yours, take it. I know why you haven't written. (And why I didn't write before the age of twenty-seven.) Because writing is at once too high, too great for you, it's reserved for the great-that is for "great men"; and it's "silly."Besides, you've written a little, but in secret. And it wasn't good, because it was in secret, and because you punished yourself for writing, because you didn't go all the way, or because you wrote, irresistibly, as when we would masturbate in secret, not to go further, but to attenuate the tension a bit, just enough to take the edge off. And then as soon as we come, we go and make ourselves feel guilty-so as to be forgiven; or to forget, to bury it until the next time.”
“We must kill the false woman who is preventing the live one from breathing.”