Meet Meka Reed | #1 Best selling author of the book ‘My Dot Matters’

We had the good fortune of connecting with Meka Reed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Meka, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I pursued a creative career because of the freedom it gives me. I started my career as most of us do, working 9am to 5pm, and quickly began to realize that I would rather be doing something else with my time. I felt unfulfilled and I believed that working in a more creative field would allow me to use more of my talents – acting, directing, creating stories and writing – than sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day. My current career also allows time to spend with my family, travel and has flexible hours so that I can get any errands that I have done during the day. Mainly it gives me an outlet for expressing my emotions and somewhere to scrutinize and bring to life my innermost thoughts.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
At the time that I was admitted to the psych ward I had no idea that I would be writing about that experience a few years later. All I was concerned about at the time was trying to pretend I was well enough to be let out. Although it took many visits from family members and friends while I was in there and more medication than I would like to admit to stabilize me, I was released into the Partial Hospitalization program which was 8 to 5, 7 days a week with no excused absences. I also had to complete the Outpatient program. It was a little better in that it was only 5 days a week from 8 to Noon with no excused absences. The whole ordeal from entering the psych ward to completing the outpatient program lasted about two months. The experience was eye-opening and I learned that every psych ward isn’t the same, some operated like a hospital and some like a prison. I was in the one that operated like a prison. I also learned that there is no way a person can hold a job while in the program due to time it takes to complete it.

Many don’t understand the neverending cycle of being an inpatient in a psych ward, losing your job or coming close to losing your job because you don’t have enough PTO to cover your stay. Getting out, only to be forced into an 8 hour a day 7 day a week mandatory program. Many lost their jobs and those who didn’t had to fight for regular job hours when they got out because of the stigma of being hospitalized in a psych ward. Some lost their jobs and housing in the name of stabilizing their mental health, which caused more mental health problems. Some had to lean on family who demanded that they get another job not understanding that the program took up the full work day and that the person was building themselves up financially from the beginning again.

It takes a long time to recover from a stay in the psych ward. I want the world to know that it takes a lot of grit and strength to go into the psych ward, see things inside that could give you PTSD, and come out only to have to rebuild your life. I want people to know that these people are not lazy, they are your doctors, nurses, police, firefighters, lawyers as well as laypeople. I got out by pretending that I was okay, but it still took 2 months to get out. I had to or my life would be turned upside down and the stay would have ruined me financially. The medication alone caused me to gain 50 pounds. At that time acting paid my bills but after the rapid weight gain I found myself unable to book jobs. That is one of the reasons that I included my stint in the psych ward into my book ‘My Dot Matters’.

I felt like I didn’t matter. That I was just a dot in a sea of dots, but by the end of the book I realized that I actually do matter. That my Dot, although in a sea of dots, mattered.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a bit of an introvert so I don’t go out a lot but one of the first things I would do is take them to an FC Cincinnati game. FC Cincinnati is our cities soccer team and their games are electric! You can feel the excitement in the air as the band and parade cheer their way down the street collecting onlookers as it goes by, while explosions of blue and orange smoke bombs go off along the parade. When you get inside the stadium the roar of 25,513 voices cheer and sing songs of celebration lead by the bailey! The next place I would take them to is the Aronoff Center to see an off Broadway play. Currently The Book of Mormon musical is playing there and it is hilarious, irreverent, and the musical numbers are brilliant!
I’d take them to Jungle Jim’s, the largest single grocery store in the world, where they can sample exotic foods, wines and cheeses for free, as well as purchase dry items that you can’t find at other stores for their trip home. They also have a huge selection of soft drinks from all over the world. And it’s near my house so it won’t be a long trip!
We can eat at one of the tons of Hibachi grill places in the suburbs of Cincinnati which all are amazing! (Trust me, I have tried them all.)
We could chill out at the Half-price Bookstore, which is more quaint than a chain bookstore and has used books at a considerably low price, while sipping on a warm drink.
The Funny Bone comedy club is up the street from my house and features famous and local comedians. The shows are relatively inexpensive and they serve food, so we can have dinner at the same time.
The Liberty Mall, a combination indoor and outdoor mall is one of the few malls in the city that isn’t a ghost mall, filled with all kinds of stores to shop in!
As an introvert, these are the places that I like to go so I would definitely take a friend.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my shoutout to my husband and children, who were the first audience and editors of my book, and to those from the West Chester, OH ward in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have supported me along my journey and process.

Website: mydotmatters.com