the six word memoir
there is a (not so) current writing trend that is really pretty profound. short but profound. what it is is that authors, writers, and such are writing their whole memoir in just 6 words. some creative ones that i have found are...
Nobody cared, then they did. Why?
- Chuck Klosterman
70 years, few tears, hairy ears.
- Bill Querengesser
"For Sale: baby shoes, never worn"
-Ernest Hemingway
recently people have been putting pictures to their 6 word memoir and they have been incredible. here are some on this NPR LINK.
so i think it would be great if each one of us did one about ourself. perhaps post a photoshopped picture and 6 words, or just your 6 word memoir all on its own. either way, i think it would be so interesting to see each others lives in a simple 6 words.
HERE IS MINE:
..............LEFT BEHIND A LEFT BEHIND CHILD....................
alternates for mine:
always looking, never finding. feeling found.
lonely child found fame, lost self.
-stephen
so SO many good ones in the comments, everyone should read them all!
but few (there were tons) that really hit me personally are:
...everything changes; everything stays the same
...missing piece to a bigger picture
..."There is always hope. Rinse, Repeat"
...Looked before she leaped, missed.
....8,264 days, 22 hours, 47 min.
....Finding the sublime in the simple
...Starving artist with no artistic talent
...life solves all but one question
...finding my song--waiting to sing
...clay molded by too many hands.
...six words short of a memoir.
Nobody cared, then they did. Why?
- Chuck Klosterman
70 years, few tears, hairy ears.
- Bill Querengesser
"For Sale: baby shoes, never worn"
-Ernest Hemingway
recently people have been putting pictures to their 6 word memoir and they have been incredible. here are some on this NPR LINK.
so i think it would be great if each one of us did one about ourself. perhaps post a photoshopped picture and 6 words, or just your 6 word memoir all on its own. either way, i think it would be so interesting to see each others lives in a simple 6 words.
HERE IS MINE:
..............LEFT BEHIND A LEFT BEHIND CHILD....................
alternates for mine:
always looking, never finding. feeling found.
lonely child found fame, lost self.
-stephen
so SO many good ones in the comments, everyone should read them all!
but few (there were tons) that really hit me personally are:
...everything changes; everything stays the same
...missing piece to a bigger picture
..."There is always hope. Rinse, Repeat"
...Looked before she leaped, missed.
....8,264 days, 22 hours, 47 min.
....Finding the sublime in the simple
...Starving artist with no artistic talent
...life solves all but one question
...finding my song--waiting to sing
...clay molded by too many hands.
...six words short of a memoir.
Comments
I will be thinking of mine. I want to put more thought in to it.
alternative:
wishing for peter pan to come.
Slowly waking with a breathing heart.
or simply
Follower plus Punk equals Following Punk.
or
everything changes; everything stays the same
I'm thinking...will comment back.
...that's really hard to think about, but that's what i've come up with in 2 minutes.
or
broken and misunderstood.lost, yet found.
** i would've posted photos but html cannot be accepted, so i don't know how to...
but your photo's adorable ! is that david cassidy on the guitar?!
--It's Not About Making Me Happy.
Die to self, hope in Christ.
figuring out whats not figured out.
decide to find more than yourself.
breathe in, breathe out. it helps.
breathe, be calm, love; thats life.
what was lost, has been restored.
whispered prayer, soul bared, heart repaired...
or
Why press on when hard pressed
Anyways,
Wishful singing often paints obscure pictures.
or maybe....
looking forward to your latest posts =D
Or
Searching. Looking for something. What? Unsure.
mel
My initial thought was:
"Indescribable with a mere six words"
but I figured there has to be some more creativity in me somewhere. :)
And the NPR link is broken. There's a after it.
anyways... here's mine.
All I know is music. Love?
so happy, except for one thing.
selfish, unloving, broken, until baby shiloh.
I have the best picture, but don't know how to post it. =(
Lose yourself to Find Others
but I did come up with a couple I like.
1. searching, but unsure where to look
2. never truly lived, let's change that
and I second what 'doubtisfaith' said in every way :)
It was great to catch up the other day.
Peace,
Daniel+
or the ever cliche
sleeps to dream, dreams to live.
or
tried to be selfless and failed
hang in there stephen, you're not alone.
-- Hopeless dreamer whose dreams came true.
22 years old, 12 at heart.
-Crystal
and/or
God catches me, happy He did.
"Pasionately loved lover yet single."
I have a 5hr drive to make tonight so if I think of anything better I'll let you know!
"A single unwanted pasionately loved lover."
There we go :)
"Life of convenience... well, not theirs.."
adopted
aware
accepted
acknowledged
audacious
single
love
lost
faith
renewed
stephen, i'm lovin' the pic... lmao - shawn cassidy... hahahaha!!!
or
one that was lost now found
or
Lord, please come and resurrect me.
writing the words no one hears
will probably think of alternate ones. :-D
yeah there's another. :)
"Lost on path; blazing my own"
- Always happy but never really satisfied.
- Looking up, unaware of holes ahead.
- Lost in a world she created.
:)
La Bla Ha Cha Spa Hurrah!
"La" because I'm a musician, "Bla" because I'm weird, "Ha" because I'm silly, "Cha" because I'm like a spicy pepper with a temper, "Spa" because I'm girly, and "Hurrah!" because I know Jesus.
Or, on a more serious note:
"Jesus and a Guitar. That's All."
Nature.
Fated in my mom's upbringing.
Nurture.
and
Half my life in a blackout.
^I journalled that when I was 10 and a classmate was complaining he never got to see enough of his father because he was divorced from his mom..I only wished I had even met mine.
My life's dance; a melancholy romance.
Lost ideals, Aware moments, Found living.
I came up with a "series of 6 word memoirs" let's say :)
I see beauty in the darkness
I hear beauty in the silence
Feel the beauty when I'm numb
Smell the beauty of the rain
Taste the beauty of the ordinary
The beauty I know is love
know life. know struggles. still fighting.
1. Wanting more yet afraid of change.
3. Her life has brought me happiness.
3. Music. Music. Music. Music. Music. Me.
4. Struggling to better myself. Almost there.
5. Fourteen years lost, then meeting him.
6. Loneliness sucks. Could use a hug.
But the one that describes me the most:
Found life in his blue eyes.
...soul born, soul lost, soul freed...
and
...observes through others, lives for Him...
'Someday I'll Be Saturday Night. Maybe.'
'Imperfect perfectionist. Hopeful pessimist. Rarely kissed.'
'I'm cold. Put the heating on.'
http://www.shariblackvelvet.com/photography/howaboutieatyou.jpg
or
First baby breath, killed Lady Macbeth
breathofprose/sixwords.jpg
Another failure. Man, can't I think up something that's not funny???
Here's another alternative: Stephen is much smarter than me.
or maybe...
"Lost God; Found salvation [or hope/faith] in music."
Insert any similar word in place of "salvation" and you can use it that way. It's the only steady thing in my life and I am completely devoted to it.
The "Non-" is probably cheating a bit though eh?
I chose to use the word "salvation" because music saves my life every day and without it, I would be lost.
Stephen, tonight's show really lifted my spirits. Thank you for that. :)
or
called out of darkness. returned, rescued.
or
clay molded by too many hands.
Naturally it all comes together sometimes.
Traveling, resting, going home, repeating; life.
Lost in confusion of my own language.
Not ready to understand, only be.
(That's all I have for now).
didnt know what to look for
or
never could see, something was missing
alternative
leaving yesterday becoming who I am
not to please anyone but God
forgetting used attachment, taking new risk
weaknesses and strengths, I am yours
realize I am weak, needing help
You inspire me.
Starving artist with no artistic talent
"we all need a reason to believe."
why is never itself a question
tears shed leaves a stained scar
young, full of life, and ready
Lost sheep, found the way home
Hopeless to self, hopeful for others.
Not all who search are lost.
Or.
Desmond Hume will be my constant :)
Hope, killed, one time too many.
Unwanted, thrown away, replaced by emptyness.
Pictures fill the space of time.
Wandering circles, yet never the same.
Dreams were lost, returning once again.
At least I'm surviving... I think?
---
You were SO cute when you were little! :D Your memoir's awesome.
Always searching... there's nothing but dust.
Dusty footprints. Am alone, yet wasn't.
You'll come if needed? ..prove it.
or...
Waiting for praise, Lonely most days
im thinking about a couple others...
"Lost and insecure, you found me"
i suppose i often like to use clouds as a metaphor for dreams and aspirations...
or
never looked, leaped carelessly, fell flat
or
running towards nothing in wrong direction
or
dancing, screaming, singing; nothing to celebrate
or
jumping for joy that never existed
or
too old to act my age
i could go on for hours, this is so fun!
lover turned pretender with good intentions
or
back then we were only children.
Was Weak. Found Faith. Grew Strong.
--Angie
or
A painful past, a better understanding.
Or
Clay Pot; God's strength in Weakness
or...
Self-loathing is quaint, never knowing restraint
or....
My polished stone will be better
or...
Chop onions if you can't cry
I could go on forever
Remain resolute - City on a Hill.
Even though it was written specifically for the class, I think that it applies to so much more, and I try to follow this advice every day.
If you've never read it before, look up John Winthrop's "A City upon a Hill" speech, as that's what this is based around. That speech was (I think!) based off of Matthew 5:14, so it can also be read in relation to that as well :)
This came to me in a dream, a man was singing it. I don't think he actually exists, but it stuck with me.
"Break the nights; unbreak my soul."