Sharon S.Y. Lee
ORP: What inspired you to begin writing or creating? Has that source of inspiration changed throughout your life?
Sharon S.Y. Lee: After I became a mother, I needed a creative outlet, something just for me, where I could deposit all of my big feelings and funny observations. Nowadays, inspiration comes from the minutiae of my daily life, from developing a curiosity and attunement to the people and situations and feelings and conversations around me.
ORP: What does success as a writer or artist mean to you?
SL: I’ve fostered a sense of self-worth as a writer that isn’t swayed by external validation or rejection. If I’m mentally stimulated, creatively inspired, and engaged with my work and the literary community, I know in my heart that I’m doing well.
ORP: Does writing or creating energize or exhaust you? What aspects of your artistic process would you consider the most challenging or rewarding?
SL: Writing and creating both energizes and exhausts me. Thinking about stories and writing gives me more energy to tackle my day job. However, when I start mulling over a story before bed, I often feel too excited to sleep! The most rewarding part of the artistic process occurs when I've worked through a narrative puzzle. That aha moment is so satisfying!
ORP: Do you know more than one language? How does this influence your art and/or writing?
SL: Mandarin Chinese is my first language. I also learned Spanish in school and studied German for a year as an adult. Dabbling in other languages expands the boundaries of my art. For example, English speakers are often surprised when I tell them that there is no past tense in Mandarin Chinese. Time is just built on different logic. In English, we rely on tenses and conjugation; in Mandarin Chinese, we use context, time expressions, and grammatical markers. With that concept in mind, I wrote a novel in English entirely in the present tense. The novel didn't work out for many reasons, but it was a fun experiment.
ORP: What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing or creating? What advice would you give to another writer or artist?
SL: The first that comes to mind is Sarah Manguso’s essay, “How to Have a Career: Advice to Young Writers.” I’d also add: be a person first, writer second. Cultivate that person. Master a skill, learn a language, pursue a hobby that isn’t related to creative writing. In the process, you will gain confidence and experience, and both will inform your writing as much as craft.