Harnessing Negativity

by Joyce-Anne Locking

"On the black dog" is an expression used by writers. It represents a period of time when a writer is unable to find inspiration and soon becomes unable to write. I once heard the term mentioned by famous Canadian writer,Pierre Berton, as a writing disorder that afflicts writers from time to time. When a writer is "on the black dog," black becomes the colour of everything: black mood, black thoughts. Even the blank page seems black as one is unable to shed light on its blankness. And black is the colour of our power to change this dreaded affliction, although writing about it definitely helps a little.

"On the black dog" is not a nice place to be. It seems comparable to riding a bull in one of those rodeos. Everyone is watching but not able to help. Everyone wants the rider to tame the beast but they have no idea how to do it. It's like a depression of sorts or like that big black cloud that hangs over Beethoven's head in the popular portraits of him. "On the black dog" is something a writer definitely needs to fight off.

As with any negative thought, we hold the power to harness any unwanted emotion or behaviour. Our perception is influenced by our mood, past experiences or our environment. Once we step away from the emotion and admit we'd like to change it, things come back into clear focus again. When we pay close attention to negative thoughts, we can get hold of ourselves. We can take hold of that "black dog" and in so doing get a grip on what our true priorities really are. To admit to ourselves we are writers, or whatever it is we wish to be, is to take back the reigns of our own power. Then, all at once, the wild bronco "black dog" begins to buckle. Feel again your own power come back into play. Pay close attention to what troubles you. Any negative emotion can be harnessed and transformed by how you think about it. Choice of thoughts can change outcome and conquer negativity!