The Impact of Words, Language & Poetry | IN-Q

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Words are a very powerful thing. But just as much as they can inspire and impact, they can also hurt and destroy. It’s for that reason that poetry is an incredibly magical artform. How can we use words, poetry and language for good?

WELCOME TO THE DARIN OLIEN SHOW

Adam Schmalholz got the nickname IN-Q because he never stopped asking questions.

IN-Q, short for In Question, is an award-winning poet, multi-platinum songwriter and best-selling author. His latest book, Inquire Within, is a collection of poetry centered around taking your pain and transforming it into growth. Including being named one of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100, IN-Q’s groundbreaking achievements include writing pop hits like Selena Gomez’s “Love You Like a Love Song” and others. Words are obviously a rich part of who IN-Q is as an artist, and as a person. Ultimately, IN-Q’s poetry is written to entertain, to inspire and to challenge his audience to look deeper into the human experience.

I first experienced IN-Q’s poetry over a decade ago. And I’m just inspired by it now as I was then. In fact, you’ll hear me get a bit emotional in this episode hearing his words. Growing up, Adam didn’t know his father. And that pain negatively affected him every day without him realizing why. Although my experience with my father was quite different, I still was able to connect to that pain on a very human level. It’s amazing what poetry can do!

This conversation is all about the impact our words can have- on ourselves and each other. Poetry is such a unique artform, and IN-Q has such a natural ability to make it relatable for everyone. According to him, we’re all poets, we just haven’t discovered that yet. So, what does poetry have to do with what I do, with my mission to save the planet? Well, everything, really. Words connect us, they get us to look deeper within ourselves, to look at the bigger picture. I don’t think we can heal the planet until we learn how to heal ourselves. And poetry can be an incredible tool in the healing process.

IN-Q gives us a little taste of his poetry in the episode. But I urge you to check out all his videos and performances. The more I listened to his poetry, the more I saw the poetry in my own experiences. How powerful is that?? If language is how we communicate, I implore you to go even deeper. How can you use your words, your poetry, to impact those around you?