John Steinbeck on Writing: The Lonely Life

John Steinbeck on writing. The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939), said:

A writer out of loneliness is trying to communicate like a distant star sending signals. He isn’t telling or teaching or ordering. Rather he seeks to establish a relationship of meaning, of feeling, of observing. We are lonesome animals. We spend all life trying to be less lonesome.

I’d like to think a writer’s life is much less lonely these days. Because of the far reach of the internet and this blog, I have writer friends all over the world. Not to mention a wonderful local writer’s group that I attend on a regular basis. So I don’t often feel lonely.

On the other hand, I can relate to “trying to communicate like a distant star sending signals.” Part of the business of being a professional writer, in this modern era, is that I am charged with the responsibility of looking for readers who can resonate with my work and/or hoping they find me. So it does feel like I am a distant star sometimes, sending out my signals.

What about you? Even if you’re not a writer or another kind of artist, everyone is creative. Can you relate to the (sometimes) loneliness of living a creative life? As always, I’d love to hear from you.

P.S. I am an ex-shrink who writes novels. Check out my books here.