Seeking Illumination in the Dark

8 minutes ago3 min read

Art, Survival, and Moving Forward

"As long as we keep fighting to live, no matter how much the past hurts, we have the power to reshape our future. Pain may break us, but resilience rebuilds us."

Life has a way of throwing curveballs—sometimes too many at once. Between financial struggles, the daily grind, and the relentless stress of adulting and parenting, it can feel like the weight of the world is pressing down on you. The thought of giving up lurks in the back of your mind, whispering doubts and fears.

How are we going to survive this?

Are we running out of time?

These questions kept running through my head, over and over again.

It was one of those weeks—mentally drained, emotionally exhausted, and in dire need of clarity. So, I did what I usually do in times like these. I grabbed a beer, sat back, and let a movie take me somewhere else for a while.

That’s when I stumbled upon Solanin, a film adaptation of Inio Asano’s manga. I had never finished reading the manga, but the story felt eerily familiar. And what happened next changed my perspective in a way I didn’t expect.

The Deep Dive

Solanin tells a bittersweet tale of love, loss, and the struggles of finding your place in the world. It resonated deeply, not just because of its story but because it reminded me of something personal—something I had buried for years.

Decades ago, I lost my best friend to suicide. It was a tragedy that left me hollow, confused, and angry at life. For years, I carried that weight, letting it shape my view of the world. Back then, I thought life was nothing but pain, and I couldn’t see past the darkness. I felt stuck like I was just surviving rather than living.

But as the years went by, I healed. Not all at once, and not without scars, but I found ways to keep going. Watching Solanin brought all those emotions back. The sadness, the grief, but also the realization that no matter how broken we feel, there is always a way to move forward.

One of the things that stayed with me was the soundtrack. The music was this hauntingly beautiful mix of depression and hope—a strange combination that somehow made sense. I found myself listening to it on repeat, letting it remind me that pain and hope can coexist.

That’s when it hit me: the past can break us, but it can also shape us into something stronger.

Resolution

Life is unfair. It’s unpredictable, chaotic, and sometimes, downright cruel. But as artists and creatives, we have something powerful—our ability to transform pain into something meaningful.

Art has always been my way of coping. Whether it’s animation, comics, or storytelling, creating has been my way of processing emotions and finding clarity. And maybe that’s the answer.

We can’t control the past, but we can control how we respond to it.

Instead of letting pain consume us, we can channel it into something that speaks to others, something that reminds people they’re not alone.

So if you’re going through a tough time, pick up that pen, that brush, or that instrument.

Create something—even if it’s just for yourself. Your pain has a story to tell, and through art, you might just find the hope you’ve been looking for.

We all fall.

The key is learning to pick ourselves back up and adjust. Not to erase the pain, but to shape it into something that moves us forward.

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