In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Christmas, we are told, is a time of family and togetherness. But for many it’s possibly the loneliest time of the year.

Susan, our photographer, is much more inclined to capturing many of SL’s lovely photogenic sims than she is necessarily to photographing anything else. We all play SL in her own way and that’s hers.

So she was out in the Ponto Cabana sim, photographing winter when she chanced on an artist’s studio.

She took some photos, and I’ll let her explain in her own words in the IM she sent to me. ‘It occurred to me that creative types are prone to depths of despair, and the poses reflected that sense of despondency. So I got a male friend to pose, simply to illustrate how there can be a sense of loneliness in the act of creation and something that can lead to depression. It seemed apt for the holiday period where we’re sold the idea of togetherness, but it’s forced and actually drives people apart. So I ended up with a small portfolio I’ve called ‘Study in Solitude’ as well as some more general landscapes.’

I love it when someone essentially writes a blog post for me, lol.

I agree that the photos do convey a sense of loneliness that can become stark for many people at this time of year, and I love the photos. It can be bleak in midwinter, not only weather wise, but emotionally too. I suppose what I want to say is that there are many lonely people out there, and if you know of anyone liable to ‘a blue funk’ maybe now’s the time to reach out to them and offer some emotional support.

Gigi