I would have written 'Brown Girl Dreaming' if no one had ever wanted to buy it, if it went nowhere but inside a desk drawer that my own children pulled out one day to find a tool for survival, a symbol of how strong we are and how much we've come through.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of creating for oneself rather than for the validation from others.
Jacqueline Woodson expresses the idea that the act of writing is valuable in and of itself, irrespective of external validation or commercial success. She highlights the notion that her work, 'Brown Girl Dreaming', serves as a legacy not just for her own children but as a testament to resilience and strength, reflecting the struggles and triumphs of her life and heritage.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of pursuing your passions, this quote can be used to inspire others to create for their own enjoyment and fulfillment.
'Brown Girl Dreaming' was a book I had a lot of doubts about - mainly, would this story be meaningful to anyone besides me? My editor, Nancy Paulsen, kept assuring me, but there were moments when I was in a really sad place with the story for so many reasons. It wasn't an easy book to write - emotionally, physically, or creatively.
In the midst of observing the world and coming to consciousness, I was becoming a writer, and what I wanted to put on the page were the stories of people who looked like me.
Sometimes you do have to laugh to keep from crying. And sometimes the world feels all right and good and kind of like it's becoming nice again around you. And you realize it, and realize how happy you are in it, and you just gotta laugh.
I don't want anyone to walk through the world feeling invisible ever again.
The strength of my mother is something I didn't pay attention to for so long. Here she was, this single mom, who was part of the Great Migration, who was part of a Jim Crow south, who said, 'I'm getting my kids out of here. I'm creating opportunities for these young people by any means necessary.'
I love how much love there is in the world of young adult and children's literature.
It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life.
I feel very privileged to hear how somebody used to run around stickin' people up and stealing cars, and now they're gettin' their life back together... I just love the stories. The stories of the fallen world, they excite us. That's the interesting stuff.
It is only necessary to behold the least fact or phenomenon, however familiar, from a point a hair's breadth aside from our habitual path or routine, to be overcome, enchanted by its beauty and significance ... To perceive freshly, with fresh senses is to be inspired.
God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the impossible.
Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.
The things that bring you the greatest joy are in alignment with your purpose.
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