In an Empty Land

This piece, "Alice in Nowhereland," is about depression and the loneliness one feels when at your lowest point. The drawing depicts that even though you are in this magical world, it could feel as if there is no one else around.

What caused this piece to adopt such a sombre tone was Lewis Carroll's own words, "Down, down, down, would the fall never come to an end?... Down, down, down, there was nothing else to do ..." How unusual that these words taken out of context could show such sadness. The context being Alice talking to herself and giving sound advice whilst falling down a rabbit hole.

As I write this post, the world around us has fallen into chaos with the outbreak of Covid-19. Although not a lethal virus relative to others, it is lethal for the elderly and very young due to its respiratory nature. Mass social and sporting events have been cancelled, travel restrictions are in place, and grocery stores are being overrun. The pictures in the newspapers show empty stadiums, airports, and shelves. Reality is beginning to feel a little "Nowherelandish."

Additionally, the market is crashing. It's going down, down, down, there was nothing else to do. Yes, there is reason to panic as many major industries are losing revenue and will not hit their forecasts. But what are the costs? In the last crash it was due to bad loans, but is this just due to greed? Should we feel bad as our financials institutions begin spinning? Who knows, and it's too early to tell.

So here we are - an illustration that once was about loneliness from an abstract perspective, now becomes an illustration about reality. How frightfully curious.