"There was always the consolation that if I didn't like what I wrote I could throw it away or burn it"

This quote by Carl Sandburg speaks to the power of creative expression. It recommends that writing can be a kind of treatment, a way to reveal emotions and ideas that may be challenging to articulate in other ways. The quote also suggests that writing can be a type of experimentation, a method to explore concepts without fear of judgement or criticism. The idea of having the ability to get rid of or burn what has been written suggests that the writer has the liberty to check out without effect. It is a suggestion that writing can be a safe space to express oneself without fear of judgement or criticism. Eventually, this quote talks to the power of imaginative expression and the flexibility it can provide.