Loss

Sometimes there comes a vacuum in ones life which is precipitated by the absence of some physical or emotional thing, and like any vacuum, objects, feelings and emotions surrounding it are sucked into oblivion. Losing something precious, not getting a job, an accidental misfortune- all these things can engender such a sense of loss and darkness.
The loss can be physical or emotional, tangible or somehow unquantifiable. That is common to us all and to an extent part of everyone's life. What can frustrate one more however is the draw and demand on ones inspiration, or general disposition, that such a loss creates. It can be very hard to summon the energy to explore ideas, to turn the insides out, extrapolate them, reflect them, think of every other connotation in order to establish the pinnacle of creativity… when your soul is clouded by a vacuum of loss.
It is also, however, in itself a source of inspiration. Many of the greatest works of art- music, literature, painting- are direct responses to tragedy, loss or misery. Somehow, their creators, when faced with the dark cloud, the negative space or the draining sensation, summon their will to not only overcome but to feed off and be driven tby the vacuum. It belies a remarkable sense of creativity to be able to do this, and not all of us are capable of reacting in this way. For the rest of us, stamina, grit and determination are all we have at our disposal to evade the vacuum, and to return to normality and inspiration.