7. Van Goghs of today- holiday depression
The holidays can be a very stressful and sad time of the year for some. Imagine yourself as Vincent Van Gogh, consistently thinking you're not good enough for anything and having to spend the holidays in an asylum. That would be make me even more depressed. There are people out in the world today that live like that. Not just the ones in asylums but the homeless, mentally ill or terminally ill. The holidays are about sharing love with the people you know but many people don't get the love passed to them (like Van Gogh). Some ways to prevent holiday depression, set aside differences to make yourself feel like you don't have anything hanging on your shoulders. There is a large number of people who aren't diagnosed with depression and seeking help can be mentally difficult. It takes a lot of self confidence to talk to a professional about how down you're feeling and/or the thoughts flouting around in your mind. In the book My Life & Love Are One, quotes excerpted from Van Gogh's autobiography Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent van Gogh, van Gogh says
How much sadness there is in life! Nevertheless one must not become melancholy. One must seek distraction in other things, and the right thing is to work.
which is said when he begins to see his work as a sense of purpose, he is accepting his life. Reading some of what van Gogh wrote in this book, it seems that some points in his life he was accepting what his life was about and that he was happy with just having art and nature of his side.
Personally, Vincent van Gogh is someone I always think about. I always wonder what he would think about things and what his works would have looked like if he lived longer. I love that he was so unique. He had a lot to deal with throughout his life, sadly there were many obstacles he could and couldn't conquer. But I will always give him 2 thumbs up for his beautiful works he did.
I always think about Van Gogh too, and I'm so glad you're rading his letters. They're almost as beautiful as his paintings.
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