Alone but not lonely as solitude provides a way to connect with others
Ian Kemp's photography has recurrent themes of solitude and the transience of life. (Supplied: Ian Kemp)
When Ian Kemp's wife Vera died in 2010, he fell into a couple of years of painful, solitary self-examination.
The couple had planned to travel the world together.
Instead Mr Kemp found himself in a new world on his own.
"Part of my recovery and dealing with the grief was to go, 'OK, I can stay here in Maryborough [in Victoria] and have a cup of coffee and a meal, or I can go and do it in France'," he said.
It was on that first trip alone to France and Scotland that Mr Kemp discovered the joy of capturing timeless moments on camera.
"I was in Dijon, walking down the street and there was a woman in her 20s riding a bike, she's got the pannier in the front and she's got the bread stick, and I thought, 'Ooh, typically French'," he said.
"So as I took the shot, she flicked her hair to the side … and that was fantastic."
Mr Kemp took up photography after losing his wife Vera in 2010. (ABC Central Victoria: Jo Printz)
Mr Kemp, a secondary school English teacher and principal for more than 40 years, joined a camera club to improve his skills, and started exploring loss and solitude through his photographs.
"It actually made me face up to and examine what life means," he said.
"It doesn't last forever, that was brought home to me by my personal circumstance, and it dictates in many ways the kind of things that I shoot."
Capturing remote and isolated places
Mr Kemp now exhibits and sells his pictures in regional galleries.
"There's a shot I took in the Sahara Desert of sand dunes, and in that you'll see there are some grasses growing," he said.
"For me that's about the tenacity of how something survives in those extremes — it's the kind of tenacity that people need."
Mr Kemp has travelled to remote locations like the Sahara to create images of solitude and resilience. (Supplied: Ian Kemp)
Mr Kemp says life is always changing, and he doesn't feel alone anymore.
"I've got something to say and while making it might be done in a solitary way, when you display it, you're actually talking to people and you're bringing them into the conversation," he said.
"Painters work by themselves, and photographers … but when they share it, there's community growth and strength in that, and I think that's really important."
Inspiring others to go solo
Stacey (who prefers not to use her surname), is a single mum to two teenage boys and is better known on social media as Solo in Bendigo.
Stacey blogs about places in the Bendigo region she visits on her own. (ABC Central Victoria: Jo Printz)
Her social media accounts showcase favourite places, events and local businesses that she visits on her own.
"I thought it might be nice to share that with other people and maybe give them a bit of motivation and inspiration to go out on their own as well, because it can be scary," she said.
The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo is one of Stacey's top three places to visit. (Supplied: Solo in Bendigo)
Having been single for the past eight or nine years, Stacey posts about places she feels comfortable visiting on her own.
"I don't want it to be like a singles page," she said.
"It's for people who maybe don't have family or friends here and are feeling a bit isolated, or people who might have a partner with different interests."
Affordable activities on your own
Stacey is also keenly aware the cost of living can impact on how often people get out and about.
Stacey blogs only about places she feels safe and comfortable to visit. (Supplied: Solo in Bendigo)
"The Great Stupa [of Universal Compassion] is definitely worth a visit," she said.
The Buddhist stupa at Myers Flat, north-west of Bendigo's CBD, is the largest in the southern hemisphere, at almost 50 metres high.
Stacey's blog is about motivating people to go out on their own. (Facebook: Solo in Bendigo)
"I love it out there, entry is by donation, it's beautiful and even some locals don't know about the Great Stupa," Stacey said.
Free art galleries, local parks, gardens and bushland reserves are places Stacey also likes to highlight online.
"I also really enjoy getting on the e-scooter and using the bike paths in and around Bendigo, it's actually a really lovely way to get around," she added.
"With COVID, I think a lot of us, including myself, got so used to hibernating at home … so if people are still feeling like that and they see something on my page, that might just be enough to inspire them to get out too.
"I think this is all just about trying to help people."
Supporting local businesses and community events is important to Stacey. (Supplied: Solo in Bendigo)
Solitude can be rewarding
Psychologist Zena Burgess says spending time alone is not the same as feeling lonely.
"Spending time nurturing our values and interests in solitude can be a rewarding pursuit that can support our wellbeing and be a positive experience for many people," she said.
Zena Burgess says loneliness is different from spending time alone. (ABC News: Darryl Torpy)
Dr Burgess, the chief executive of the Australian Psychological Society, added that loneliness was increasingly being recognised around the world as a significant health and social issue.
"Being lonely can increase our chances of poor mental health, and having a mental illness increases our chances of experiencing loneliness," she said.
"The expanding body of research and evidence shows that higher levels of loneliness are associated with both personal and social factors such as higher levels of social interaction anxiety, less social interaction, poorer psychological wellbeing and physical health, and poorer quality of life.
"So, looking after our health and making connections may be protective to our mental health and wellbeing."
Dr Burgess recommended that people experiencing loneliness seek expert care.