The Van Gogh Blues

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Challenging read - not for the faint hearted - Rated
When my wife left me I found it difficult to cling onto the meanings I had cherished so dearly - my Christian faith. What I didn't understand then that I understand now because of this book is that meanings is something we sometimes need to purposefully create "we need to force our life to mean" as the author says. In other words, in the face of the abyss of meaninglessness we must create a pathway across by saying: "This is what I hold true" and sticking to it. This is a scary prospect because depression comes from meaninglessness and then to be told you have to face that and MAKE meaning is the sort of information that makes you want to sit down and cry! However, it is the truth. This includes any religious faith you hold - if that is what you hold true to - you must force your mind and body to use it and acknowledge it. So I came to understand that it is not that my faith had failed me but more that I had failed to purposefully apply it - does that make sense?
This book will probably only be a comfort to those of an extremely creative bent who struggle everyday with the issues of meaning and doing meaningful work. It is strangly ethereal and multi-coloured in its message - it will not speak to everyone. If there were one way to improve it I would seperate the practical steps from the main text - at the moment they are mixed in with the anecdotes and life stories - a summary would be good.
I have never come across a book like it and any artist, actor or creative who not only feels misunderstood by the world but actually IS because they ARE different should read it.