Power of the Pen- The ‘Tongue’ of the Mind
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Depression is a plague, give not power to it and let it remain vague. There is power in the tongue and power in the pen. Leave it from the mouth and strike it from the page, writing it only makes it temporarily dormant, for one day the beast will leave the cage. OJ Irons (II)
I was in a video call today with OJ, a music executive friend in Canada, when we started talking about writing and poetry. I expressed that I wrote my best poems when depressed (this was years ago). I told him that my expressions would shock my friends since my countenance was always so positive and I was always smiling. I was hard on myself and questioned my purpose on this earth. No one knew my sadness; writing was the therapy that allowed me to vent my feelings. No one read it, so no one knew; since I never showed it… It was the equivalent of writing that angry letter that you never mail!
OJ said, “Never do that. Don’t write anything negative about yourself”. He insisted that when depressed, we should write something uplifting and positive to counter the negative thoughts.
I was floored.
I am one if the biggest proponent of positivity and the belief that we should never give light to anything that pulls us down - yet I NEVER gave a second thought to the adverse effects of WRITING negative words. I was busy preaching the power of the tongue and forgot about the power of the pen!
“The pen is the tongue of the mind.”
Miguel De Cervantes
Of course! Why wouldn’t it be the same? While writing during our vulnerable time of depression our hearts and minds are open to negative elements and influences. I boasted that I never allowed my depression to define me at the time, but penning the feelings of worthlessness must have given some power to the thought. Now, in retrospect, I know it indeed had an effect on my subconscious and my self- esteem.
We should be more mindful of allowing these feelings of doubt, anger, and depression to enter our thoughts and manifest itself in our words and writings. It WILL manifest itself in our lives. Each of us has much to offer… the spice that variety brings to this tasty pot called life.
Speak and write of good things, things we hope for, things we are strong in, things we can offer society to make it a better place for our generation and the next.
Think it, believe it, write it, and say it!
2. September 2008 at 5:34 am :
Your article was refreshing. What your friend OJ said about being positive when depressed and how important it is not to write negative things when you are depressed, I must admit it is a brilliant idea, but what many people fail to realise and understand is that depression is a disease, its an illness. I have suffered from depression over the years and I too expressed myself through poetry, at times the darkness took me to places I could not escape from and I had to reach out by doing other things in order to draw peoples attention to my cry for help. I either cut my hair down to the scalp, bleached it blond, got piercings in an attempt to get out of my purgatory, my Hades. For me depression is a mental anguish, searing pain surging through every crevice of my mind to the point where if I dont feel the pain physically I can get no relief.
I love putting pen to paper, in anger, happiness, confusion,ecstasy, anguish, any given emotion that I can express, but sadly depression is not an emotion…its not a good vibe, bad vibe, its not a faucet to be turned on or off. When going through a bout of depression one cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. It feeds of the despair of the mind…..
2. September 2008 at 4:05 pm :
That is true. People do believe depression is something we can ’snap out of’. It is a disease, often debilitating if not treated.
Thank you for sharing. I would love to read more about how you handle your bouts. There are many who suffer and do not have an avenue to vent or share ideas of coping.
7. September 2008 at 5:04 am :
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