I recently found a large stash of old poetry from high school and college. I was able to split it into three piles: one for amateur teen angst, one with the potential for improvement, and one for pieces that are already good to go. I think the second pile, the one I can improve, is the most exciting. I see it as a way to, rather than simply reconnect with my former self, merge and meld my old self with my current self. I think these works will come out quite a bit different than my usual writing from either time period, and I find the prospect unique and exciting, both in experience and in how the work will come out.
Have you ever come across old work of yours, whether it’s writing or art or something else? How did you react?
Vegan Flavorista
Wow, Christie, your posts are really speaking to me lately. I just pulled out a stashed box of writings this week–an abandoned memoir project I was working on when I decided to start my chef business. I have pages and pages of work: outlines, research, scrapbooks and painstakingly written chapters of my life, as far back as I can remember. There’s so much.
When I read these pages today, I am happy I wrote them. Even if I never weave them into anything published, they are a document, a history of my life. I enjoy transporting myself in my mind to a time and place–a moment, through my remembrances.
They are sometimes bittersweet memories, but they have all brought me to where I am today. I like the idea of the merging together between old Christie and new Christie. We learn so much about ourselves as we move through this journey called life.
I plan to resume my memoir writing at some point. Maybe I will turn it into short stories or a novel.
I really enjoy your blog and interesting post subjects!
Melanie
christiestratos
A memoir! I always have great respect for people who write memoirs of their lives because it exposes such personal feelings and events. I feel that the depth you can get out of those experiences and the fact that you actually experienced them yourself makes the writing that much more raw and real than someone writing a fictional novel. I can understand the bittersweet memories – I’ve found things I’ve written down about various times in my life that can have the same effect. I enjoy reading them now and, as you say, being transported back to those times and situations.
I hope you publish your memoirs someday, no matter what form they’re in! You have a buyer here 🙂
pflead73
I was just checking out my player’s record section… I found out a some random piece of guitaring that I had recorded 2 yrs back… now am planning to make a song out of it 🙂
christiestratos
That’s great! Sometimes our pasts can be the only inspiration we need 🙂 Hope it turns out good! Thanks for sharing!