Loneliness.

These are a few shots from an old project exploring loneliness, a feeling so very real to many at this current time. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently, the way that loneliness shows up. Its appearance is indiscriminate - not solely coupled with physical isolation, but sometimes arising when we’re least alone. This is something I’ve seen time and time again throughout lockdown. I’ve seen the elderly battle with the social separation that shielding has brought, hiding alone in the shell of a home that once bustled with visiting family members. Yet, I’ve seen friends surrounded by family, told to “feel grateful to not be alone”, who are secretly feeling lost within the chaos of a full house, longing for a momentary escape.

I’ve learnt that , as humans, we can’t live without connection; connection is a fundamental contribution to a complete existence. Without it, loneliness creeps in. So, in a time when social distance is the norm, when waving through a window is how we greet, and an ‘air hug’ is our closest form of physical contact, it’s easy to wonder whether loneliness will be engraved into the future of our generation. And, if it is, how will we navigate it?