Artwork by Schledia Anderson
I’m a writer, and as a writer one of my
missions has been to touch on difficult topics that need to be broached in our
society, so that is what I have done through my novels. Over the next few
blogs, I plan to open my heart, pull out my pen, and dive into the issues I
have tackled and share with readers why I chose to confront those particular
issues.
On a broad scope, we should all desire to
bring something to this world—to give of ourselves in the hopes of making the
world a better place. I believe I was given three important keys, and those
three keys unlock three vital parts of humanity, worlds, hearts, and minds. So,
in 2012 I established the business Three Keys, with the slogan: unlocking
worlds, hearts, and minds. My desire was to use my gifts and talents (whether
it be in writing novels, skits, plays, or scripts, movies, art, or music) to
unlock worlds for people to enter and explore with lessons along the way, to
unlock the hearts of those around me by sharing struggles others face that may
be hidden, and to unlock minds through educational tools.
I began my
mission by writing a story similar to my own. It wasn’t my story because I did
not want to open my heart and experiences for the world to see, but I knew I
could create a fictional story closely related to my own, and in doing so I
could share my heart without exposing all of my wounds. Being vulnerable is not
easy, and being a writer is putting yourself in a vulnerable position; it opens
up the writer to scrutinizing eyes and those who desire to pick your words
apart, and there are always those who troll through your writing to attack and
tear (not only your words) but you into shreds.
Plain
Jane, my first published book, tacked the issues of self-esteem and the
power words hold when it comes to it. Once self-esteem is lost (or even if it
is never obtained to begin with in life) depression can consume the life of an
individual. Words or the lack thereof have the power to mold an individual’s
self-esteem. Bullies use them to assault innocent lives, and even an innocent
child can go astray and begin to make unwise choices when there is no
self-esteem to build a resistance to such peer pressure and temptation. After
making such grave mistakes, depression then entangles its victim in an endless
cycle that has one final destination in mind—death by suicide.
Those are
the issues I undertook using my gift of writing. I desired to help those
suffering from a low self-esteem to see how much they matter, and to give them
the same hope I now have after fighting my way free from the spidery legs of
the demon depression. Depression can be defeated. Freedom from its clutches is
available! I desperately wanted to give hope to those caught in the tangled web
of depression. I hoped people who used words to hurt others would see the
damage they caused, and maybe, just maybe those individuals might be changed
through the power of the pen in my hand, and I wanted those injured by a life
similar to my character’s life who had been left wounded and bleeding by
hurtful words, careless words to receive healing. I hoped beyond hope that my
words would be a healing balm used to pour upon those wounds, leaving no scars!
If you know someone struggling with
depression, Plain Jane is a great tool to show them they are not alone,
and there is hope. I’m attaching the link to the book for those interested. If
you are unable to afford a copy, please contact me. I try to reserve several copies
from each shipment for those unable to afford them.
Be Blessed and Be made Whole
Pinky
