YELLOW PENCILS, TEENAGERS AND A LATE SUMMER MORNING

Looking outside dreams. Look inside yourself too, you will unravel

He uses his digital art to create an immersive and inspiring experience, promoting mindfulness and beauty in all its forms. Creating a virtual environment that celebrates creativity, Dastilige Nevante contributes his digital art to the Meeting Benches website. To accompany articles and content on the site, Nevante creates illustrations inspired by various artists and styles. Seeking to capture the essence of their work, he delves into the lives and historical context of the artists who inspire him for each project. To invite visitors to explore the different shades of beauty in the world, the site hosts a variety of content, including poetry, short stories, photography, and music, all digitally illustrated by Nevante. Meeting Benches serves as a virtual meeting place for travelers, artists, thinkers, and dreamers to share stories, thoughts, and moments of reflection. As you read on, you will delve into themes of loneliness, alienation, and mindfulness.

Imagine a late summer morning, when the air is still warm but you can already feel a slight change that announces the arrival of autumn. In a crowded square, a group of girls have organized themselves to raise funds for a charitable cause. They have set up a small stand decorated with balloons and posters explaining their mission. With contagious energy, they invite passers-by to make a donation, to raise awareness. In exchange, they offer a yellow pencil, not just a useful object, but a symbol of solidarity. You have just finished drinking a coffee and remember that you have no coins left, but you ignore your ten euro note and continue walking. A little further on, you meet other girls with yellow pencils, you think about the ones you had ignored before and you cannot find an explanation for the ten euro note that you are putting in the slot that collects donations.

You accept the pencil and continue walking. Before reaching your favorite shopping center, looking at it, you think about the meaning of the color yellow, often associated with happiness and optimism. That desire to bring light and positivity into the lives of those in difficulty is now revived in you by two other girls with yellow pencils. You show yours and you smile at each other. The scene is an example of how small gestures can have a big impact. The girls not only raise funds, but also raise awareness in the community, creating a sense of belonging. Each yellow pencil is a tangible reminder of the importance of helping each other and how, together, we can do great things. This context highlights the beauty of collaboration, showing how even the simplest actions can contribute to gaining awareness of what surrounds us. Do you avoid social situations or activities that require interaction with others? Symptoms of anxiety or depression may be linked to signs of alienation that vary depending on the context. Some symptoms include feeling detached from others, or a lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable or meaningful. Ask yourself if you have difficulty feeling emotions and connecting emotionally with others, or if you experience feelings of worthlessness or lack of personal value. If you recognize some of these signs in yourself or someone you know, it may be helpful to talk to a mental health professional.

Human alienation has been explored by philosophers and sociologists. According to Karl Marx, alienation occurs when we are detached from the production process, from other workers, and from ourselves. This is especially evident in industrial society. Modernity, in fact, has brought about a sense of isolation and disconnection. With the advent of technology, due to the dependence on electronic devices and the lack of human interaction, we feel alienated. Life in large cities, in particular, where people feel anonymous and detached from the community, accentuates this sense of alienation, from themselves and their emotions. Loneliness is primarily a lack of social connection. Alienation, on the other hand, involves a deeper and more complex disconnection that can affect various aspects of your life. Loneliness is an emotional state in which, even though you are surrounded by other people, you feel isolated or deprived of companionship. That mental space, uninhabited and deserted, coexists with a sense of inhospitality and boundless vastness. It can arise from a lack of meaningful social relationships, a move, or the loss of a loved one. It is often temporary and can be alleviated through social interaction and emotional support. That deep sense of disconnection, not only from others, but also from yourself and your environment, can also be caused by an alienating job or the overuse of technology.

There are a few strategies you can use to combat alienation. Join local groups, volunteer activities, and community events. Balance your work and personal life, and make time for hobbies, family, and friends. Promoting awareness of your emotions and needs can help prevent emotional detachment. Use technology consciously, limit time spent on electronic devices, and increase the use of face-to-face interactions. Regular exercise can improve your mood and reduce stress, which can help you feel more connected to yourself and others. Finally, don’t forget that getting help from a mental health professional can also help you deal with your feelings of alienation.

Alienation is the result of a world that no longer recognizes the individual, a feeling of being a stranger in a world that should be familiar. For Bernardo Bertolucci, an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer, “solitude can be a terrible condemnation or a wonderful conquest.” The poet Giacomo Leopardi, on the other hand, interpreted the sense of solitude both as not being able to keep someone company, and as something that is inside us. If you are looking for awareness, remember this Zen saying: “Beliefs limit, doubt stimulates, knowledge strengthens, awareness illuminates.” Hoping that these phrases have been inspiring to you, remember an old recommendation by Marshall McLuhan: “Not being aware means not existing.”