The Me in Memoir.

(And in other creative pursuits.)

I’ve really been on this kick the past couple of days thinking about memoir and what it means as a creator. Yes, technically memoir means memory, but the word me really has a significant place there.

It’s easy to wonder why anyone would want to read about “me.”

Who cares?

Does anyone find your experiences as interesting as you do?

Well, if you use your creativity, stories about yourself and your own experiences can certainly entertain and resonate with others. That’s why memoir is such an interesting art form.

You take your stories and you mold them. Shape them. Weave a tale that’s relatable and engaging.

Honestly, the same is true for any kind of writing, if you think about it.

But back to memoir. No. Back to the me in memoir.

One of my favorite things about getting on a roll with my writing is pouring my whole self into something. Reliving it. Feeling it. Expressing myself through my words. The same for when I dabble in other creative ventures like photography or making jewelry. I am by no means talented as a photographer or artist, but I still pour myself into it when I’m in the moment. I did the same back in the olden days when I was an actress.

Back then, I was more of an actress than a writer. Writing has always been a part of my soul, but the stage was a significant part of my life for a long time. I loved acting because I could channel my feelings, my emotions, my angst, and my joy through crafting a character. It resulted in such a high.

The feeling of a high is addicting.

I’ve had pretty crazy writer’s block the past few months. Hence, my slowdown in publishing stories on Medium. Most of my time on that platform lately has been working on nominating others for Medium’s Boost Program. I’ve spent little time creating.

I wonder…I wonder if part of the problem is I started focusing on you too much and forgot about me?

As I’ve started publishing on Substack again, those wonderful bursts of creativity have started sparking. I feel like I’m finding my love for writing again. I think my takeaway here is that it is okay to be selfish as a creative person. If you lose your love for what you’re doing, you stand a little lost. And as a creative person, you can take that selfishness and weave it into something others will enjoy.

So, here I sit, waving hello to the me in memoir. Nice to see you again, old friend.