A Writer's Power

Words have the potential to make people feel less alone. Authors like Ken Slesarik are changing the world, book by book. They are providing the world with vast wisdom and awareness about serious issues everybody experiences. Slesarik says, “the thought of helping other people, gives me some purpose and new meaning.”

The written word can heal and empower those feeling lost. People experiencing grief, mental illness, eating disorders, miscarriages, abuse, addiction, suicide face the challenge of navigating the abundance of feelings and emotions caused by these circumstances. Many try to escape the pain instead of confronting it. They run away and hide when they should fight back.

Writing is an incredibly powerful tool that has helped countless people overcome their battles. However, most people shy away from uncomfortable conversations and end up suffering because of it. Society has become obsessed with presenting this false appearance of being okay all the time. Obviously, that is not reality. It is okay to not be okay.

Children’s author Ken Slesarik confronts his trauma and honestly conveys how dark life can feel. He tragically lost his son three years ago. The grief was unimaginable, but he persevered. He turned to poetry and expressed every emotion through words. He began playing with the lines and language without focusing on whether it was anything good or not, saying, - “I embrace the pain and I go there…I am just doing this to heal. To figure things out.”

Slesarik transformed his worst sorrow into something beautiful. His poetry guided him through his grief and has since aided thousands of others experiencing the same thing. He found clarity in words to heal his internal wounds.

Anyone who reads Slesarik’s poetry feels the magnitude of his loss. His writing is heartbreakingly honest in a way that truly makes people feel understood. Those who have experienced love and loss like Slesarik will be greatly impacted after reading his book, Grievers and Poets: When a Loved One Dies.

Everyone has a story to tell, and every story deserves to be heard. So, write down: the pain, the loss, the fear, the emptiness, the heartbreak. Write it all down. Someone in the world can read those words, feel the breath fill their lungs, the weight lifts off their shoulders and be forever changed. Writers have incredible power, and it is time they started using it.