Soul Journal

Have you ever slammed a door in anger? Perhaps. But have you ever slammed your emotions into words?

The language of the soul is easy to comprehend, and the door to that language is expression. Musicians, painters and poets all thrive on the common link of using art as a medium for expression sans boundaries. Abhinav Arora, an engineering student from Manipal University came up with the idea of ‘Soul Journal’, an initiative which brings this notion to life. A journal holds personal experiences and acts as an outlet of bottled emotions. Reinforcing this idea into something bigger, Soul Journal offers more than just a stage to vent. It provides a platform to share, learn and experience. Using soul slam (similar to poetry slam) as their prime tool, they travel to cities across India and organize workshops which encourage people to come forth and express themselves through spoken word poetry and storytelling. Unlike poetry slam, soul slam is more relaxed and focusses on content and expression rather than competition.

The social need: The open-mic forum creates an opportunity to share your story and reach out to other people in a rather positive fashion. “Poets will not judge you, they will experience you”. In a society where judgement curbs the liberty of expression, there is a dire need for an atmosphere of acceptance.

The intrinsic need: Poetry is an insightful yet powerful weapon of expression. Not only does it aptly channel your feelings, it also helps you explore uncharted territories that lay within you. It takes courage to open up and accept yourself for who you are before seeking it from others. With slogans of “Be weird, Be brave, Be yourself” and “Conquer Thy Self” instigating self-belief, soul slam is the perfect rehabilitation for a distressed mind.

When the soul drowns in the depth of art, it’s left gasping for breath. Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore had their turn. Pune is up next. Don’t slam the door. Soul slam it. Let your words throw punches in the air. Let your emotions stitch your wounds. Your soul is your kingdom and you are the sole ruler. Conquer thyself!

To be up to date with their events, follow them at their website – souljournal.co

Tejal Khullar for MTTN

Leave a Reply

Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.

Up ↑