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Henry Miller: Don’t be an artist if you can help it.
When you take on the responsiblity of being a creative person, you can’t walk out on it any more. Youre either going to live or die.
The artist doesn’t follow the herd. They lift up their voice. They say this is what I think, this is what I say and this is what I’m doing. I accept the penalty that goes with it.
Henry Millers commentary on Playing it safe.
Listen to it here: Henry Miller Interviews
Listen to more Henry Miller Interviews, here.
Lisa Thatcher 
Amazing!
The photo perfectly fits the quote.
And thank you a lot for the links to the audio interviews.
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Oh yes, yes, yes! I’m no great fan of dear rude Henry but I do like this quote. This also hurts because I’ve been struggling to avoid conformity. I’ve had agents say: “Yes lovely work and very gripping but, what genre is it really? Literary Fiction doesn’t really sell. Can you tone it down a bit. It’s not mainstream. We can’t place it easily.”
In other words: “Be a different writer. Sell out and churn out pap that sells. Don’t challenge and don’t say truthful stuff or talk about meaning and love and life in terms that are, too, rude, bawdy, or erotic. Violence is OK but tone down the anti-establishment stuff and do we need two women as lovers?” Oh yes pain and anger here.
I like the blog and will be following.
Regards, davidrory.
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I found and read this just at the right moment, in the grip of the struggle, razor to throat. Thank you!
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It’s my pleasure – its always a good time of day for a nice glass of red wine and a good solid dose of Henry Miller! 🙂
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Always a great pleasure my drear fellow artist friend! Always a great great pleasure.
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I’m so glad it hit you at a good time.
Henry Miller is just one of many examples of those rejected repeatedly by an establishment simply too financially heavy to be able to respond to the avant guard. He sounds cliched now, because so much of his wordage has been adopted by our day to day vernacular. We have – just as they did – the small presses that is a huge blessing. When you write on the very edge of something however, it is unlikely that you will be read for some time.
And there in lies the artists true misery, because we need to be read – just so the writings contract is properly fulfilled. It is a sad and lonely life, the life of the writer.
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