“First we eat, then we beget; first we read, then we write.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
On Reading
Reading and writing are intertwined, like night and day, black and white, front and back. Their relationship is cyclical, each reinforcing the other. Reading should be an active process—one that involves engagement with the text, a confrontation that connects the ideas within it to your own life. Reading passively is an escape, a mistake that should be avoided. The aim should always be to gain something useful and personal from the act.
Samuel Coleridge classifies readers into four types: the hourglass, the sponge, the jelly bag, and the Golconda. The hourglass absorbs and passes on, the sponge does the same but less effectively, the jelly bag retains nothing of value, and the Golconda is the ideal—discerning and retaining only the precious. When you read, focus on what is useful to you. You can only understand what resonates with your current state of mind.
Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that one should only memorize what reflects their own thoughts and experiences. In other words, understanding is about relating new knowledge to what you already know. This connection enhances your ability to express yourself more clearly and profoundly.
Most writers read to nourish their writing, using books to clarify and refine their thoughts. Emerson said, “Everything a man knows and does enters into and modifies his expression of himself.” The clearer your understanding, the more precise your expression becomes. As new concepts shape your intellectual framework, they reorient your ability to communicate.
Goethe captured the essence of genius when he said, “What is genius, but the faculty of seizing and turning to account everything that strikes us?” Brilliance lies not just in original thought, but in the ability to adapt and integrate external ideas. The true genius doesn’t just create from within—they know how to transform the work of others into something uniquely their own.
If your mind is active and creative, avoid prolonged reading without reflection. Reading, like writing, requires breaks for thought. After reading a few sentences or a paragraph that sparks your creativity, stop. Take time to process what you’ve just read and let it inspire your writing.
“The glance reveals what the gaze obscures,” Emerson observed. Sometimes, a chapter’s opening lines can provide all the insight you need. If inspiration strikes, don’t wait—write down your thoughts. Reading and writing should feed each other, creating a loop that drives you forward.
On Journaling
Keeping a physical journal is invaluable for writers. By transcribing your thoughts, you clear your mind and refine your thinking. A journal is a ‘commonplace’ book where you can capture thoughts, brilliant insights, memorable quotes, and personal reflections. It’s not meant to be neat or orderly but a space for raw, unrefined ideas.
Don’t try to structure your thoughts as you write—let them flow naturally. A journal can jump from one theme to another without restriction. You might find it helpful to index the back for easy reference. This freedom is what keeps your ideas pure, without unnecessary embellishments. The key is imperfection—your journal should be as rough as it needs to be.
The Language of Nature
Language is the fossilized remains of poetry. The writer or poet’s task is to reconnect words to nature, to rectify the decaying use of language. True writers reinvigorate words, bringing them back to life in a way that resonates deeply with the reader. Nature itself mirrors the human spirit, and the laws of nature are also the laws of the mind. To master your intellect, you must understand nature, as they are intertwined.
Language is the bloodstream of thought, and no work of writing is trivial. Each word carries the writer’s essence, and when written well, it can evoke powerful emotions. Yet, writers often fall into extremes: they either speak too much or too little, fail to act, or overthink their actions. The key is to find a balance between expression and action, theory and practice.
The Craft of Writing
Effective writing requires attention to the details of your sentences, not just the content. It’s about finding the right word, not overloading your writing with unnecessary adjectives. Focus on what needs to be said and say it directly. The art of writing is about selecting the essential, not embellishing the trivial.
As Emerson said, “Nothing can be added to it, neither can anything be taken from it.” Good writing is simple yet complete. Every word should serve a purpose, and sentences should not be forced into a rigid structure. Let your words flow naturally, without the need for unnecessary connections. Writing that leaves room for the reader to think is often the most powerful.
Courage in Writing
Writing, like life, is an act of courage. It requires the ability to expose yourself, to confront your thoughts with honesty. The writer who struggles with consistency and over-refines their work weakens their expression. True courage in writing is about being authentic, even if it means contradicting yourself. The more you write, the more you grow—not just as a writer but as a person.
Mastery comes not from perfection but from the act of doing. It is the process of creation that shapes the mind, not the final product. To live for yourself in a world that often asks you to live for others is an act of creative defiance. Embrace this defiance in your writing—be bold, be direct, and never shy away from revealing your truth.
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