‘The enemy within says that a body of work is just as strong as its weakest point.’

This is how a depressed writer feels, everyday. You think every single paragraph, every single sentence, every single word, every single thought of a word is absolute crap. The true feeling which you depend on as the source of all your instincts turns against you. And no lie, this will scare the shit out of you. Depression is a writer’s kryptonite, a disease which positively will suck the life out of you. It ain’t pretty.

‘The zebra’s afraid to take off her coat. She’s afraid she’ll lose her stripes.’

Every writer is intoxicated by their own talent. It’s impossible not to be. When you can use words to express not only your thoughts but the thoughts of others as well…Nothing in my life compares to that high. Yet once you start to doubt yourself, it becomes terribly easy to forget who you are. “I’m not a writer,” you think. “I can’t do that.” Meet your new best friend, the blank page.

‘The stone on the bottom of the ocean says, “This is not a cul-de-sac.”‘

There is no cure for depression. No magic bullet. And what might be right for you, might not be right for some. What all of us who suffer from depression must remember, though, is that you’re not alone. Geniuses suffer from it. As do the mentally challenged. Leaders suffer from it. As do followers. Depression, and all other mental illnesses, are universal. But you can get through it- by therapy, by medication, or by the love of others. That rut you’re stuck in is truly all in your head. Don’t let it beat you! Get help! Please, get help.

Happy 31st birthday, Molly. We love you very much.

You try it. You like it. You buy it.