Writing to Not Forget: The Grandmother with Alzheimer’s
The Story
During a Mercury profile interview, when asked about how he takes notes, Packy McCormick didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, he talked about his grandmother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about a decade ago.
“I realized that I write as much as I do because I’m afraid of losing my memory,” he said. “I forget a lot of things. And writing, for me, is a way of not forgetting” (Source 1).
This admission came in the middle of a conversation about being a solo creator running a million-dollar newsletter, venture fund, and investment syndicate. The interviewer noted that McCormick was “still smiling, even then” (Source 1).
Lesson for Creators
The strongest creative engines are often fueled by something deeply personal. Packy’s prolific writing output, sometimes 10,000-15,000 words per week, isn’t just professional ambition. It’s rooted in a fear of forgetting. When your reason for creating goes beyond money or audience, the consistency follows naturally. The audience can feel authenticity, even when they don’t know the full story behind it.
Related
- The In-Laws Basement with a Baby on the Way — the personal stakes behind the writing
- From Napping Startup to Newsletter Empire — writing as self-preservation before it became a career