Who am I?
Good question, but we’ll settle for Mamie P. Muse. It’s not my “real” name, but my close family still uses Mamie. I’m married to a wonderful man. We’re both British but immigrated to Cyprus when he was offered a job in 2013. We have since welcomed a small addition, our son, in 2016. He was never really that small, but he’s still smaller than us…for now.
I’m a creative anarchist who won’t commit to a single artistic outlet because I NEED them all for the support and nurturing of my soul.
Why use a pseudonym?
I’m a relatively private and quite shy person, so the very idea of putting myself ‘out there’ was exceptionally daunting. Using a pen name is like wearing a mask because it allows the innermost person to emerge, without the fear of personal rejection. I can pretend that Mamie is a character I’m playing, although very close to the real thing.
The other (important) reason is that my blog will refer to my family, friends, and acquaintances. My anonymity protects their privacy, too. However, these days, I’m not all that anonymous—my face is out there on YouTube, and that was scary!
It may be that those who know me well will identify me through the cumulative information published, but it won’t be common knowledge to those outside my immediate circles.
Why am I doing this?
I have mentioned that I write and copyedit/proofread for others. Adopting a specific style or bias to fit clients’ requirements does little to help me develop my own voice.
This website allows me to explore my creative world and find my particular style. I’m flexing my mental writing muscles to discover how I perform when I have no specific guidelines. I want to know how my style matures and develops when I only have my inner specifications to meet.
Why do I write?
I write because I love it. I love to create things, and doing so in words is the most natural thing in the world for me.
I create because I can’t not do it. I paint, draw, crochet (and occasionally knit), sew, stitch, dance like a loon and write poetry because I will wither and die inside my own skin if I don’t.
What do I hope the website will achieve?
To begin with, I’m not expecting much; I’m just creating an online world to explore and develop my artistic and creative talents, and talk about stuff that excites me.
Eventually, I would like to have people read and respond to my work. I want to inspire interest, intrigue, controversy and discussion. I want to talk about the stuff that has impacted my life and how similar things affect others completely differently.
I may not be particularly fond of people en masse, but I love discourse.