Moments of Solitude

-



Other than having internal conversations with our muses, Artists and writers live in solitude, and without it, our creative voices would suffocate and lie dormant until there is an opportunity to meet again with our muses and an important part of ourselves. To me, this is a good kind of solitude, one that feeds me, and I thrive on it. A good day of creative work by myself can feel enormously satisfying and I have little need for company, and I can feed off this for days.

But there is another kind of solitude. Everyone is born and dies alone, and in the meantime, there can be plenty of alone time. Some can feel good, but often, if we are feeling the lack of company, or FOMO (fear of missing out), not so much. When what fills our lives is unbalanced, with that alone time becoming too large, the world can feel like a very sad and empty place. This is more than a post-pandemic disconnect from the world. In many ways, I think Baby Boomers have forgotten how to be friends in the way that we were as kids. 

Once when I was maybe eight or nine and accompanying my mother to the grocery store, I noticed an old woman in the next checkout line, buying a few items to undoubtedly, eat in her tiny dark kitchen by herself. Suddenly, I realized that this could be my mother’s future, or possibly mine and I cried, already feeling lonely for what the future could hold. I could never have dreamed of the pandemic. But, we have emerged and I realize that yes, there are days that feel as dreary and lonely as that, but there are plenty of happy times, filled with companionship. And yet, images of contemplation and solitude, have always spoken to me. I have been shooting photos of people alone for years. Profiles in Solitude is a group of digitally created images taken from these photos, where I have observed people in their moments of aloneness. Perhaps these images will speak to you as well.

They can be ordered as prints, offered in my shop at 18 x 24, mounted on Gator Board and ready to hang, with other sizes and framing options available by request.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Day As Poetry

-
Image
This morning, I awoke with an interesting thought: What if I were to make every day a poem? What kind of poem would today be? I didn’t mean that I would write verses about the day but would create a lovely day that produced thought and insight as if Mary Oliver herself had created it. This raised the question though, would my intentions dictate the poem, or would the muses decide what happens and create magical poetic moments? It was a worthy experiment, so I lay there contemplating this perplexing issue, dozing in and out until I had overslept, late for walking my puppy and with my cat howling for his breakfast.  So far, today’s poem was about being late and rushing, not very lovely or poetic.   Or, my poem might be about yielding to the experience. While getting dressed, instead of asking Siri to shuffle my favorite music as usual,  I requested she play  A Horse with No Name  out of the blue  as I was throwing on a sweater and jeans to take my dog out. It...
Read more

Mission Impossible? Four words that keep me on track.

-
Image
The technique I use for achieving my goals isn’t original, but it’s so useful for structuring my time, prioritizing what is important, and honing in on my goals, that I thought it was worth sharing. The technique is simply having a personal  Mission Statement , an uncomplicated idea that comes directly from  Seven Habits of Successful People  by Steven Covey, a book I read years ago. The key to making it effective is keeping my mission in my awareness, so I recall it when I wake up, and at night, I review how I did before I go to sleep. My mission statement has only four words in it. isn’t about an overblown corporate bit of wordsmithing, but rather a reflection on what is important in my heart, and what I want to have in my life that will help me to live my values and be happy. For me, the key to making this work is simplicity. If my mission statement was complicated, I would have tossed it long ago, Although the words themselves are not lofty or intricate, each word rep...
Read more

My Phone is a Silent Bully

-
Image
So, as some of you may know, I fractured my pelvis while hiking last summer and it was the perfect time to work on my poetry book,  It’s a Little Bit Skimpy , with illustrated poems. What is very exciting is that I discovered an AI program that will take my lyrics, create a melody with amazing vocals, and in 20 seconds, I get a song from my lyrics. What fun!  The poem is called,  My Phone is a Silent Bully . Maybe you can relate. The book is now out and available on Amazon. Here's a link, should you want to buy the book or get more info. 
Read more