Jump to Main ContentJump to Primary Navigation

Guest Editor's Letter: How My Break Up Taught Me The Difference Between Solitude and Loneliness

As the newsletter takeover continues, you might have guessed that I’m not Tobi!

Some of you may know me as a writer, producer and (sometimes) poet. Some of you may not know me at all! Well, allow me to (re)introduce myself:

I’m Siana – longtime friend, fan and supporter of Black Ballad. Like you, the weekly newsletter has offered me comfort, affirmation, and encouragement during the best… and worst of times.

When I was asked to write my own BB Newsletter, I wracked my brain trying to think of what I wanted to say to you all. I decided that, as I have been through an intense period of change, it was important to reflect on solitude. I’ve had to actively learn that there is a difference between ‘solitude’ and ‘loneliness’ – but for weeks I was caught in the grey area between them. Psychology Today reminds us that ‘From the outside, solitude and loneliness look a lot alike. Both are characterised by solitariness. But all resemblance ends at the surface’.