Grace Segran
Oyster River Pages: How does your own writing or art surprise you?
Grace Segran: I may want to write about something but I often end up writing something else. I believe writing is a process of the mind and heart and creative writing seems to have a life of its own. And I happily let it lead me.
ORP: Do you rely more on discipline, inspiration, or something else when writing or creating artwork?
GS: For decades, my work as a journalist required discipline and working to strict deadlines. Journalism is based on facts and I would have assembled them by the time I'm ready to write. Creative writing is different. While personal essays are based on facts, I'm not just presenting the facts but reflections and meaning. These require processing. For me, it's inspiration that drives what to write. And it is inspiration that finds me. So I find it very difficult to write when nothing inspires me. But once I have an idea, it normally flows easily.
ORP: Are you working on anything at present that you would like to share with your readers/viewers?
GS: I was recently diagnosed with metastatic cancer, 22 years after the initial bout. So I'm writing about life and what it means to be dying.
ORP: What do you see as the greatest obstacle or challenge to your personal creativity? How do you work to overcome it?
GS: Lack of inspiration. I depend on inspiration so much that when it's not present, I can't write. That is why I'm lost during writing class when the instructor is doing prompts to get us started on creativity. I don't know how to overcome this obstacle.
ORP: What is the artist’s/writer’s greatest asset?
GS: Life. Living through an experience.
