In today’s world, where everyone wants a happy home life and an exciting relationship, the phrase "I’m lonely" alienates you like the plague.
Fortunately, loneliness can be treated by examining the causes and finding solutions. A fundamental solution, whether your loneliness is absolute, caused by separation, or existential, is to keep yourself productively engaged in human interaction and interesting hobbies or activities when your loneliness is at its worst.
Existential loneliness is something that we all feel at some time in our lives – the realization that no one can take away our fears, we have to face them. No one else can take risks for us, face our losses on our behalf, or give us self-esteem. No one can spare us from life’s ups and downs. However, existential loneliness, the great burden of human consciousness, is also a great gift – if we give it the right treatment.
And that treatment is art!
In the face of great sorrow or joy, love or loss, many of histories greatest achievers learned to express themselves through different mediums: music, paint, clay, words, the movement of their bodies. They created works of art that were born from their suffering and loneliness. It helped them through a difficult time, and today, it serves as a reminder that we are not alone in feeling alone.
For example, Vincent van Gogh created most of his iconic works of art during the final two years of his life, which he spent in a mental asylum after his offer of friendship was rejected by Paul Gauguin. His feelings of loneliness and rejection were the catalyst for the creation of some of the greatest works of art in the history of the world.
Make your own artistic connections by appreciating the many forms of art or even creating it yourself. Read novels, listen to music, learn how to dance, visit museums, take an art class, watch documentaries: Seek art from every time and place, in any form, to connect with those who really move you. And try your hand at creation; put aside convention and embarrassment and do whatever it takes to convey your essential self. Use anything you can think of to understand and be understood, and you’ll discover the creativity that connects you with others. You’ll soon find beauty and communication with other, like-minded individuals.
Instead of hiding your loneliness, bring it into the light. Honor it. Treat it. Heal it. You’ll find that it returns the favor.
