Have You Accidentally Socially Isolated Yourself?

Edward Hopper's paintings help us recognise our feelings of social isolation

A quick weekly lesson today and a reminder to reflect on your connections to others.

It’s been an incredibly busy start to the year. I didn’t have much of a break at the end of 2023, and am unable to shift a particularly stubborn viral illness.

As the temperatures dive in the UK, it’s been harder to socialise and connect with others.

Although I don’t need to be with my friends physically to feel close to them, my workload across the week/weekend has made this even more limiting lately.

The lack of social interactions has negatively affected my mood at times, as even enjoyable activities feel like tasks on a to-do list.

They start to feel like jobs to be done, instead of tasks I get to do and learn/connect from.

During a scroll of random articles on my phone earlier (distraction from said tasks), I was reminded of Edward Hopper.

Edward Hopper. Nighthawks, 1942. The Art Institute of Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection. / Edward Hopper. Nighthawks, 1942. The Art Institute of Chicago, Friends of American Art Collection. Taken from Mental Floss

Hopper is one of my favourite artists, and I wrote my project dissertation about him and his influences for my Art A-level as a teen.

There was something about the timeless Americana but slightly disconnected tone he created in his images that always appealed to me.

That connection remained.

I have a Hopper print on the wall above my computer screen (it’s The Long Leg below in case you’re curious) to provide a calm vista of the ocean and take me out of my current headspace.

Edward Hopper. The Long Leg, 1935. Taken from Edward Hopper.net

I invite you to look at Hopper’s work above, and on Edward Hopper.net. This has an incredible encyclopaedic list of all his paintings, the motifs chosen, and the themes that recur throughout his painting career.

You might notice there is a common theme of social isolation. Not only in landscape or rural settings, but also in what could be considered busy urban settings.

Hopper painted in the early 20th Century, a period which saw a surge in people moving location, roles and activities to create new lives.

This process can be incredibly hard and it gets difficult to find true belonging.

Hopper captured that perfectly and it still resonates almost a century later.

A small task to explore

The way we view art in any form and what it stirs in us is important data.

It helps us notice what we might not consciously be aware of.

We are drawn to things that need to be said or understood.

If you have accidentally socially isolated yourself for any reason, that’s an important data point to recognise.

It often happens slowly and has longer term health impacts. Increased stress and inflammation in the body negatively influences our cardiovascular fitness and health.

To counteract this social isolation, I’m setting a mini challenge for myself through the rest of January.

I will:

1. Choose a Hopper painting each day

2. Reflect on the theme and insights that draw me in or make me curious

3. Use that energy to connect to someone - either via phone, text, email or in person

A small space in the day to reflect helps us take useful action.

Why not give it a go and see what you discover? 🚀

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Let me know what you're keen to learn or talk about in the comments or on chat.

This is your space too, so let's enjoy it together.

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Take care,

Sabrina Ahmed

Burnout Coach | Neuroscientist | Art-based Practitioner