Write about your experiences! When I moved to L.A., I didn't have any friends, and the office janitor was the person who I saw the most. He would always come in at around 10:00 P.M., and I would still be at my desk, so I wrote a play about a first-year TV writer and the friendship that she developed with the janitor. Our stories matter.

In this quote, Tanya Saracho encourages the importance of writing about personal experiences and finding meaning in everyday interactions. She shares her own experience of moving to L.A., where she found herself without any friends, making her connection with the office janitor one of her most consistent. Saracho uses this time spent with the janitor as inspiration for a play, where she writes about a first-year TV writer and her unexpected friendship with a janitor, illustrating how real-life experiences—no matter how small or ordinary—can become the foundation for creative work.

Saracho’s reflection speaks to the idea that our stories matter, no matter how insignificant they may seem at first. The bond she formed with the janitor, a seemingly mundane interaction, became a meaningful source of inspiration for her writing. This emphasizes the value of everyday moments and how they can reveal important emotional truths and connections. Through her writing, Saracho highlights that even the most overlooked or simple relationships can shape the way we understand ourselves and others.

The quote also suggests that creative work often comes from personal struggles or loneliness, where individuals find meaning in unlikely friendships or situations. Saracho's play draws on her own feelings of isolation and the unlikely connection she found with the janitor, demonstrating how writing can be a tool for exploring the nuances of human relationships. Her experience serves as a reminder that the stories we live through can be transformed into art, making the act of writing a deeply personal and empowering process.

Ultimately, Saracho’s words highlight the power of storytelling and how our personal experiences, no matter how small or unconventional, are worth sharing. By encouraging others to write about their own lives, she underscores the value of authenticity in art and the importance of recognizing the connections and relationships that shape our individual narratives.