“Single |sin•gle| (adjective) – Too fabulous to settle.”
It is a fantastic feeling when wake up every morning and realize the world is yours for the taking. Nothing is stopping you and you alone are responsible for you actions, one of the most liberating sensations in the world. Many times when we are surrounded by seemingly happy couples, we suddenly ache for the company of another. We believe being with someone will make us feel complete, but this is not necessarily true.
The beauty of being on your own is great and sometimes we take it for granted. There is no compromises to be made, your time is yours alone, and those delicious activities like reading are no longer a guilty pleasure.
Solitude is a comforting world made just for us, a place where we feel at ease in our skin. No one is there to criticize or judge, and we have learnt to let go and enjoy the little simple things in life.
In our life there is no stress that comes with being in a relationship. We have no one to please but ourselves, we don’t have to make plans or meet people we don’t particularly like. This is when we come to understand that singledom is a blessing: mental harmony and not having to be next to someone who drags our self esteem down or makes us feel less.
Obsessing over your body, shaving your private parts, and all that excessive grooming is a thing of the past. Your personal grooming and style become a daily goal whose sole objective is to make you feel good about yourself. You are the most important person in this relationship and this growing confidence is remarked upon by those that surround you.
The fear has melted and your freedom is accompanied by a beautiful feeling: what you do is for your eyes only. Your mistakes and failings are your own, and no one will judge you if you fail. Your solitude has become your biggest strength and instead of weakening you, it makes you stronger.
What does it matter if you decide to wear your pj’s all day long? It may be that the only audience will be your pet, and it will nestle next to you and enjoy the comforts of home.
Weekends of movie marathons and endless reading sessions have become soothing activities that nurture you and you wouldn’t change for the world.
Coffee cup after coffee cup, ice-cream for breakfast, and pizza for dinner with a nice glass of wine become sumptuous meals that we all fantasize about. Enjoying every single meal is synonymous to living life to the fullest. We have become connaisseurs of the dolce far niente, of the sweet nothings.
Idala Candela’s speaks of this beautiful reality in her project Soledad Posmoderna: the beauty of being on your own. In her black and white series, she shows solitary women in the comfort of their home, drinking a soothing cup of coffee and simply enjoying the little things. Idalia Candelas lives in Mexico and her technique is based on water colors and soft brushstrokes.
When the artist moved to Mexico City, she felt terribly alone and in her solitude she discovered that the people that surrounded her tried to evade that solitude at all costs. “I would like to show that women on their own do not suffer, they are not depressed and nor are they crying, on the contrary, they are safe in their knowledge that they have the capacity to enjoy life on their own.”
