"I never consciously place symbolism in my..." - Quote by Ray Bradbury
I never consciously place symbolism in my writing. That would be a self-conscious exercise and self-consciousness is defeating to any creative act. Better to get the subconscious to do the work for you, and get out of the way. The best symbolism is always unsuspected and natural. During a lifetime, one saves up information which collects itself around centers in the mind; these automatically become symbols on a subliminal level and need only be summoned in the heat of writing.
More by Ray Bradbury
“For everyone nowadays knows, absolutely is CERTAIN, that nothing bad will ever happen to ME. Others die, I go on. There are no consequences and no responsibilities. Except that there ARE. But let's not talk about them, eh? By the time the consequences catch up to you, it's too late, isn't it, Montag?”
“I'm not a science-fiction writer. I've only written one book that's science fiction, and that's Fahrenheit 451. All the others are fantasy.”
“I don't try to describe the future. I try to prevent it.”
More on Writing
“A writer is someone who has taught his mind to misbehave.”
“I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped.”
“Most of the note-taking happens while I'm watching television. It's a broad window on the world, and a lot of things are already established in my mind as things I say, things that I'm interested in, things that are fodder for my [stand-up] machine. And when I see something that relates to one of them, I know it instantly and if it's a further exaggeration and a further addition, or an exception - if it plays into furthering my purpose, I jot it down.”
More on Creativity
“If you're stuck in a painting, then stop and draw something else. Draw a flower and put your love into that flower. Then your powers will come back again.”
“With humor you have so many options with topics and length, I mean I can write humor essays in books now and they can be as long as I want them to be.”
“New ideas come into this world somewhat like falling meteors, with a flash and an explosion.”