Writing as an Outlet

Jason Wellwood Pens Book of Lyrical Poetry

For many people living with mental health struggles, the dark cavity of isolation amplifies that pain to the point where we are forced to seek a release of some kind—an outlet that lets us get the thoughts out of our heads temporarily so we can learn how to take on the shadows that try to overwhelm us from time to time. For Jason Wellwood, that outlet has always been writing.

This year, he released a book of his work that helped him get through some challenging times called Fuck You, I Love You.

“I’ve always said that if anything was ever going to happen for me, it was going to happen through my writing, and I can’t just keep writing and stowing it away in notebooks on the shelf and hope that someday something magically happens,” Wellwood says. “So I just decided to start making things happen. I decided I wanted to put something out before I turn 50, and it just snowballed into this book.”

A collection of what Wellwood calls lyrical poetry, Fuck You, I Love You is a compilation of his writing over the last decade or so, and it is his hope that sharing some of the experiences he went through will maybe encourage others to do the same. “I would love to believe that I’ll be part of some Orange County moment, where somebody finds my book buried in the sand and it sets them on some amazing life path,” he says. “But more realistically, if one person reads my book and one line speaks to them and sets them on the right path, then mission accomplished.”

Initially starting out with runs of hard copies available by pre-order through IndieGoGo, Fuck You, I Love You is also available through major online retailers, by reaching out to Wellwood himself, and hopefully in some local shops as well. Proceeds from the project will go towards Andrew’s Fund administered through Kelly Mental Health that offers financial assistance to men seeking help, and the Spice Of Life Initiative, a local group striving to help those generally in need of assistance within the community.

For more information and other merchandise, including a special edition Hooligan Fuel Hot Sauce, visit fuckyouiloveyou.ca.