To say that creative writing courses are all useless is almost as silly as saying all editors are useless. Writers of all levels can benefit from other instructive voices. Matt Haig Read Quote
In an age of never-ending health fads, it’s comforting to learn that one of the healthiest activities you can do has existed for millennia. It’s called reading. Yes, books are not just entertaining or educational: they can also improve your mental health. Matt Haig Read Quote
I think maths is the root of everything. If we understood every area of math, it would lead to improving our sense of science, physics, engineering, space travel… all those great things. Maths is a backbone for it. Matt Haig Read Quote
It is very hard to explain to people who have never known serious depression or anxiety the sheer continuous intensity of it. There is no off switch. Matt Haig Read Quote
However much in the foreground depression feels, you are separate to it. This is going to sound cheesy, but I’d say you are the sky. A cloud comes and dominates the sky. But the sky is still the sky. Depression tells you everything is going to get worse, but that’s a symptom. Don’t give depression power – constantly discredit it. Matt Haig Read Quote
Teenagers watch and listen to all kinds of things. It is the nature of being a teenager to seek out intense stuff. Stuff about death and sex and love and fear. Teenagers are the bravest, most curious, most philosophical, most open-minded readers there are, which is why so many less-than-young adults like writing for them. Matt Haig Read Quote
We need, ultimately, to be able to view mental health with the same clear-headedness we show when talking about physical health. Matt Haig Read Quote
Depression is an illness. It is not a ticket to genius. It is not an interesting personality quirk. It is horrible and all-consuming and really hurts. Matt Haig Read Quote
Human brains – in terms of cognition and emotion and consciousness – are essentially the same as they were at the time of Shakespeare or Jesus or Cleopatra or the Stone Age. They are not evolving with the pace of change. Matt Haig Read Quote