I’m a nurse, a health and diabetes educator, an patient advocate for HPV related cancers, a former marathon runner, a mother, a stepmother, a step-grandmother, a grandmother, a mother-in-law, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a swimmer, a skier, a dog and cat lover, with a personality a lot like my two Border Collies. I am a cook and a foodie, an artist and illustrator and a cancer survivor.
I contribute to a monthly column for The Ojai and Ventura View. I Tweet and blog. I journal and have taught journal writing as a method to deal with grief and loss. My memoir came from my journal entries while I was ill. I write personal essays and young adult and middle grade novels. I aspire to someday write a poem that is worth sharing.
I am a compulsive creator.
I write, because my subconscious is having a conversation and I want to be in on it. I write to find out who I am. I write to get a glimpse of who else I could be. I write to find out what I know. I write to get clarity on the past. I write to relive. I write to be heard. I write, because I love how it feels when muddled thoughts become coherent messages. I write to fix past wrongs with people who are no longer present. I write to give voice to characters who will never live in the real world, but who have something important to tell me. I write, because the voices in my head have different ages, and I think the child from the past needs a forum to be heard.. I write, because scenes appear in my head, and people inhabit them who need their stories told. I write to discover who those people are and what they struggle with. I write, because I find solutions and insights in the words that come to me. I write when I’m scared. I write to find courage. I write when I’m angry, hurt and sad. I write when I’m confused. I write to find out what I’m grateful for. I write, because I’m tired of thinking. I write, because I have a deadline. I write, because it’s magic. I write to fix things that are unfixable. I write to figure things out. I write to let go. I write to heal. I write to encourage. I write to share what I know. I write to share what I don’t know. I write to teach. I write to prevent suffering. I write to ask questions. I write, because I love stories. I write to elicit emotion. I write to make people laugh.
I write, because the page is always there. It doesn’t judge. It just lends itself, like an intimate friend. When I write, I am never alone. When I write, I am never bored. When I write, I disappear and yet am never more present.
Mary-Jo Murphy - February 27, 2013
revised February 10, 2015
I contribute to a monthly column for The Ojai and Ventura View. I Tweet and blog. I journal and have taught journal writing as a method to deal with grief and loss. My memoir came from my journal entries while I was ill. I write personal essays and young adult and middle grade novels. I aspire to someday write a poem that is worth sharing.
I am a compulsive creator.
I write, because my subconscious is having a conversation and I want to be in on it. I write to find out who I am. I write to get a glimpse of who else I could be. I write to find out what I know. I write to get clarity on the past. I write to relive. I write to be heard. I write, because I love how it feels when muddled thoughts become coherent messages. I write to fix past wrongs with people who are no longer present. I write to give voice to characters who will never live in the real world, but who have something important to tell me. I write, because the voices in my head have different ages, and I think the child from the past needs a forum to be heard.. I write, because scenes appear in my head, and people inhabit them who need their stories told. I write to discover who those people are and what they struggle with. I write, because I find solutions and insights in the words that come to me. I write when I’m scared. I write to find courage. I write when I’m angry, hurt and sad. I write when I’m confused. I write to find out what I’m grateful for. I write, because I’m tired of thinking. I write, because I have a deadline. I write, because it’s magic. I write to fix things that are unfixable. I write to figure things out. I write to let go. I write to heal. I write to encourage. I write to share what I know. I write to share what I don’t know. I write to teach. I write to prevent suffering. I write to ask questions. I write, because I love stories. I write to elicit emotion. I write to make people laugh.
I write, because the page is always there. It doesn’t judge. It just lends itself, like an intimate friend. When I write, I am never alone. When I write, I am never bored. When I write, I disappear and yet am never more present.
Mary-Jo Murphy - February 27, 2013
revised February 10, 2015