Written by: Daniel David Leaver, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
As the creator of Storytellerarts and a Gen X, I discovered long ago the incredible power of words.
I wrote this article to help Gen Z and Millennials who may be discovering writing therapy or thinking about implementing it.
I did not begin my writing journey until around 30, so it is never too late.
Once I did, I was able to finally understand the pain I had felt and use it to shape stories and heal my mind along the way.
I discovered that through the pain, these stories I created could help myself and others, so I developed a method to share my work through social media. I started seeing those around me grow inspired to write short stories and poems or even create a journal. People from the other side of the world have reached out to me now, and I am reassured that sharing was a good choice for me. You can keep a diary or journal and keep your writing to yourself, or you can share; either way will help you.
We see it everywhere today in its micro form, with every post we read or story we encounter daily.
Everyone is jumping on social media to share their day or pictures. That is because there is an enormous power in words.
We can build someone up or tear them down with the words we speak and how we use them. We tend to do this every day in our relationships and friendships.
Many people can turn words, lines, stories, or pictures into expressive art therapy.
For me, I have learned that depression never really goes away; it lingers and is a constant challenge we each must face.
It rears its ugly head in many forms and must be dealt with in each.
You can find comfort in a pen or keyboard when going through the worst pain in your life.
A story may whisk you away to another land, or the tears may develop your page, leaving, in some ways, that pain behind.
I have found in my experience that sometimes the act of writing, typing, or even voice recording can be an effective way to cope and distract my mind from the negative feelings that accompany depression.
When you are suffering a significant loss in your life, there may be nothing that will help, and I do not suggest that writing will make your pain subside. It may, however, leave you with other emotions such as accomplishment, love, joy, pride, or fulfillment that can help keep the necessary balance to remain productive and focused in life.
My greatest stories came from pain, frustration, loneliness, anger, and hopelessness.
Discovering my writing style may have saved my own life.
When I wrote Lonely Night, it was through tears at 3 am. It was how I felt at that moment so many years ago, a moment captured on a page. We like to capture moments, don’t we? As a part of the human race, we have always wished to manipulate time, so we hang on to old memories and strive to capture new ones.
If you have ever thought about beginning a writing form of therapy, I encourage you to do so. Here are a few activities that may help give you a start.
Please write down the first 20 words that pop into your head, then use a dictionary, check your spelling, and see all the possible meanings. The English language is tricky, and many words have multiple meanings. You may discover a new meaning to a familiar word.
While in the dictionary, scan through and look for a word you have never heard of or seen before and learn it. Could you use it in a story? Write the word down. Writing something down is another way to submit it to memory. It will help you in your healing or learning journey.
Find a picture of any animal, study the image, and then write a short story about what you perceive the animal to be thinking at that moment based on the surroundings. This is an example of how I wrote Percieve. If you want to share your story with me, you can leave it in the comments or email it; I would love to read it.
Pick an emotional attachment and write down all the descriptions you may use if describing it to or teaching a child. For example, how many different ways could you describe anger, fear, love, or excitement?
Finally, try to form a story using the 21 words, animal, and emotional attachment you described. Your story can be as long or as short as you like. Remember, it is your story.
You do not have to write about your pain or what caused it; you can write whatever you can think. Doing this can help to set your mind on a path that may help you fight off that depression, replacing the pain with a sense of fulfillment and worth. Challenges will await us every day, and taking small journeys to somewhere else in our minds can help us ease pain or even develop solutions to our problems. Finding the time to write can be a challenge in itself. Here is a short and interesting article I came across to discuss this and help you. Choosing the Right Time to Write.
Remember, it is okay to capture your pain and write about your depression personally, whatever that may be; just do not get stuck there. Move on and take a journey or many in your mind.
Another resource I found very useful in my journey is Rhymezone.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and visit my website for more info!
Daniel David Leaver, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Daniel Leaver is an American author who grew up in Indiana. He is a faith-based writer who enjoys his time with family and friends. Daniel is best known for loving children, animals, and nature. He is an empathic writer and cleverly crafts stories that can encourage and aid in mental health awareness. A profound animal and nature lover, he can usually be found in a peaceful and quiet place.
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