Julian is a highly isolated 80-ish-year-old artist who feels disconnected despite living in the same community for decades. This loneliness prompts Julian to question whether we truly know our neighbors and how life would be different if we moved past the superficial and shared authentically.
Julian writes these ponderings and his lonely life story in a notebook, labels it “The Authenticity Project,” and leaves it in a café. Monica, the similarly disconnected café owner, finds the notebook, reads it, and decides to help Julian by starting art classes with him as a teacher. She, in turn, writes about her desire for a family and leaves the notebook in a bar, prompting The Authenticity Project to swirl through a group of people.
Meanwhile, the art classes are a success. Julian feels loved and supported, and his students find connection through community and artistic expression.
We live in an increasingly technologically connected world. And yet, we are experiencing extraordinary levels of loneliness. In his research and book, Project Unlonely, Dr. Jeremy Nobel shares that 1 in 4 adults reports feeling lonely, and these feelings are more pronounced within groups of people who are marginalized, older, or have experienced trauma or sickness.
Dr. Nobel suggests combatting loneliness with creative expression. Here are the tools he lays out.
Be Curious: Explore your feelings of loneliness. What causes them? Is the loneliness specific or existential? Describe it.
Make Something: Mindfully create. Try things like writing poetry, playing instruments, drawing, and cooking. You don’t have to be good at it for it to be good for you.
Have Conversations: This takes bravery! You can experience authentic connection by telling someone about what you made and asking about what they create.
Find Commonalities: Find others who share your creative interests and find ways to experience them together. Consider group art classes, community gardening, etc.
Call People In: Reach out to lonely people, share your experience, and use creativity to connect. Helping others will also help you.
Love Clare Pooley? Me too. Check out my posts on her other books:
Comments