Meet Megan Stratton

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Megan Stratton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Megan , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I like to believe that there is no such thing as one true purpose. My purpose in life is simply to follow the things that interest, inspire, and ignite me. Perhaps, I am simply chasing the feeling of “being alive”, which is a noble pursuit in my mind, because I am so aware of the fact we all die someday. As a teenager, I was lost and depressed and suicidal, but acting and art gave me hope and something to aspire to be and achieve; it gave me something to latch onto. Several years ago, when that depression came back with a ten year-dormant force, my art kept me going but did not save me as it did before, and I changed my life. I’m not back in school studying Arabic and dreaming of continuing to work with Refugees as I’ve a newfound passion for it. It fulfills me and makes me feel good and circles directly back into my creativity. So I don’t find my purpose, rather attempt to place myself in situations that allow my purpose to find me, and pray to god I have the means to do something about it.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am predominantly a playwright. Theatre has always been my favorite form of literature/art, and as a trained actor, I have a deep rooted bond to the stage. As a writer, I hold a great responsibility in being true to myself so as to give the audience space to be true to themselves as well. I know a lot of writers who shy away from admitting they write from a personal space, but it’s all personal, how could it not be? I’ve written plays about love, trauma, mental health. I try to be explicit because I think there is a greater power in being frank, direct, and unafraid to have an opinion, to have a story.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Openness; you have to be open to yourself, others, and the creative process as an entire entity. All art requires supreme vulnerability, which in turn, asks the artist to know themselves honestly and entirely. Especially as an actor, it’s the first and perhaps most important thing you should learn: who are you? Then an openness to others- the ability to let people, the world, impact you. Empathy is the most valuable skill in life because it is not to be capitalized on, but used to understand that everyone on Earth participated in a shared existence and that matters. Then an openness to art itself- the willingness to explore new mediums, try new things, and let the creative mind continuously expand. It’s not a caged animal, it’s a wild being that can be honored by refusing to confine it to just one thing.
I also believe that an ability to receive criticism is a super power. To be able to stand firm enough in your own self to pick and choose which comments you want to agree with, meld into an improvement, or completely disregard- yeah, that’s helpful.
I also just try to enjoy every last moment of my life. Gratitude goes beyond all else. It’s the key to surviving in a disappointing world.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

I haven’t written anything new since December/January, which doesn’t sound like a good thing, but has taught me a lot about letting go of preconceived ideas of what my life “should” look like. So, being back in school and being able to finally accept that pursuing another passion is not erasing my identity as an artist has been a huge deal for me. I felt a lot of guilt in deciding to return to school because I was afraid of loving something else, of being more than a playwright and that pulling me away from it entirely, and I do still wish to find some divine inspiration soon, but it’s nice to know that I am doing what I am doing in pursuit of that inspiration. Ironically, I feel almost more like an artist in the way that I am choosing to approach the decisions in my life than I did by just constantly worrying about monetizing my art as a way to validate my career.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: M_stratt