Sharing Harnessing Darkness With Actress Elizabeth Mitchell

My life took a turn for the better this year when I had the privilege of spending time with actress Elizabeth Mitchell. You might recognize her from various film and television projects such as LOST, The Expanse, Once Upon A Time, The Santa Clauses, etc. 

Most of you know my love for LOST and particularly the character of Juliet (portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell). Not only has Liz portrayed my favorite fictional character, she has always been so supportive and kind to fans, as well as an ally to her LGBT fans. 

In a twist of fate, I was able to spend a magical evening with Liz talking about our work and making s’mores around a campfire (a true LOST experience). It meant so much to me to share my story and gift her one of my books. 

Needless to say, I thought this day would never happen. Inspirations come in all shapes and sizes. From people and songs to books and paintings, inspiration can be found everywhere. When you feel alone, anything can bring so much comfort. This is not something to be ashamed of.

Mrs. Claus cares about mental health. Do you? This holiday season, consider Harnessing Darkness as a stocking stuffer!

Whether you’re a fan of Elizabeth Mitchell or you’re interested in learning more about my personal struggles with mental illness, consider checking out the many reviews for my book. You can also hear more about my story here. You can find Harnessing Darkness in numerous places including:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Contact your local bookstores as well!

Learn more and find mental health resources at calebislost.com!

A Donation to the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

I’m always happy to support local libraries and couldn’t pass up the chance to donate a copy of my book, “Harnessing Darkness: Expressing Mental Illness Through Poetry,” to the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library while I was in the area for a speaking engagement.

The Florence-Lauderdale Public Library is located at 350 N. Wood Ave, Florence, AL 35630. For those of you who live in Lauderdale County, be sure to support your local library by checking out a book! You can learn more on their website.

As always, be sure to check out my Facebook Author page as well as my website to learn about my upcoming speaking engagements and book signings!

Harnessing Darkness: Expressing Mental Illness Through Poetry

My debut book, Harnessing Darkness: Expressing Mental Illness Through Poetry has already achieved the following:

#1 New Release on Amazon in the Gay & Lesbian Poetry category

#1 New Release on Amazon in the Death, Grief, & Loss Poetry category

Harnessing Darkness traces the struggle of living with mental illness. Through sections aptly titled Birth, Life, Death, and Rebirth, Caleb Woods gives readers the experience of what it’s like to live in the mind of someone who struggles with a roller coaster of emotions on a daily basis. Caleb chooses to open the doors of his mind, allowing you to see not only the dark, but the light. Caleb lets each nightmare, depressed thought, and abundance of anxieties come to the surface with harrowing and hopeful poems about the struggles of living with mental illness and growing up gay in the Bible Belt. Experience loss, pain, heartbreak, and hope with Harnessing Darkness.

Get your copy today! Now available on Amazon!

Visit my Facebook Author Page and my Book Page to learn more!

A Jedi. A Mockingjay. A Wizard. A superhero. Who are you?

Star Wars. Star Trek. The Hunger Games. The Lord of the Rings. Harry Potter. Superheroes. Why is it that we’re attracted to such epic stories? Why do we rewatch and reread our favorite tales? Surely any Star Wars fan realizes that the Empire created a galaxy that was unfairly ruled. Surely fans of The Hunger Games recognize that President Snow is a dictator and the districts are treated unfairly. Surely Sauron and Voldemort are seen as villains, right? Why do we read these books and watch these films over and over? What’s the point of having knowledge of these stories if we don’t take what we’ve learned and apply it to our lives? We can reread and rewatch all we want, but who is that helping? Are we simply using our favorite tales as an escape?

On some deeper level, we’ve connected to these stories. We’ve rooted for the underdog, for those facing adversity. We’ve immersed ourselves into these worlds, but it’s time to acknowledge the world we currently live in. Isn’t it time to apply what we’ve learned to the world around us? If we want to prevent all the horrors rebels fought against (poverty, inequality, prejudices, and so forth), why aren’t we using what we’ve learned from these stories? Why can’t we make the world a better place now? The thought of wielding a wand, bow, phaser, or lightsaber is exciting, but we already have weapons we can use. Our voices. Our votes. In order to prevent Emperor Palaptine or President Snow from leading our country and the world into total chaos, shouldn’t we be applying the knowledge we’ve learned to prevent things like this from happening?

If we want a progressive, Star Trek future, its time to work toward it. While we sit and dream about better futures, the world keeps spinning and we miss our chance. If we want to change the world, now is the time to understand the morals and meanings of our favorite films and books. What are these stories trying to tell us? Don’t be a villain. Don’t give in to greed and hatred. Stand up for acceptance and love. Stand against prejudice and hate. Sacrifice yourself, money, and time for a greater cause. We write our own stories each day. Will you be rooted for or rooted against? We’re all flawed, but we can still be heroes. Make sure your story is worth reading.