"Trying to force creativity is never good"
About this Quote
The phrasing matters. “Trying” frames the impulse as understandable, even relatable; “force” is the villain, suggesting strain, manipulation, a kind of creative coercion that leaves bruises on the song. “Never good” is blunt, almost parental. She’s not negotiating with the myth that pressure produces diamonds; she’s naming the cost of squeezing feeling into a deadline-shaped container.
The subtext is also about control. For artists, especially women in the music industry, “force” often comes from outside: labels, radio formats, branding, the expectation to be emotionally legible on schedule. But it can come from inside, too: the self-policing voice that turns every blank page into a moral failure. McLachlan’s line defends an older, less glamorous discipline: listening, waiting, staying receptive, protecting the conditions where honest work can happen.
In an era of constant content and algorithmic appetite, the quote lands as cultural resistance. It argues that creativity is a climate, not a switch - and that the quickest way to kill it is to grab it by the throat.
Quote Details
| Topic | Art |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
McLachlan, Sarah. (2026, January 15). Trying to force creativity is never good. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/trying-to-force-creativity-is-never-good-125772/
Chicago Style
McLachlan, Sarah. "Trying to force creativity is never good." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/trying-to-force-creativity-is-never-good-125772/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Trying to force creativity is never good." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/trying-to-force-creativity-is-never-good-125772/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.












