Creativity Quote by Joanna Newsom

“I am always trying to write” lands like a tossed-off aside, but it’s really a manifesto for anyone who’s watched Joanna Newsom turn songwriting into a kind of lifelong apprenticeship. The key word isn’t “write.” It’s “trying.” She’s not claiming inspiration on demand or presenting herself as a finished product. She’s framing authorship as pursuit: ongoing, imperfect, and stubbornly alive.

Coming from a musician known for ornate lyrics and labyrinthine structures, the line quietly rejects the myth of the effortless genius. Newsom’s public persona has never been about constant visibility; it’s about long gaps, obsessive craft, and work that arrives when it’s ready. “Always” signals a private continuity that doesn’t depend on releases, press cycles, or the audience’s clock. Even when the world isn’t hearing new music, the internal engine is still running.

There’s subtext, too, about discipline masquerading as vulnerability. “Trying” can sound modest, but it’s also a flex: she’s committed to the most difficult part of making art, the part where nothing is guaranteed. It aligns with her reputation for protecting the sanctity of process, resisting the content treadmill, and choosing depth over speed.

In the streaming era, where “consistency” often means “constant output,” Newsom’s line reads like a soft refusal. She’s not always publishing. She’s always becoming.