Will you still believe when the darkness descends and the enemies of your soul babble in your brain?

Will you hold fast when despair circles overhead like a raven in search of treasures to steal?

Hopelessness grates upon serenity until all that remains is depression.

Yet, this dark place is where faith stretches—when you trust in what your eyes do not see, your mind does not believe, nor your heart feels.

If you are an artistic person, chances are you will encounter hopelessness along your creative path. I sure know that I do. Often I understand the source. Yet more times than not, the malaise seems to descend from out of nowhere. I cannot pinpoint why I feel the way I feel.

During these dark times of the soul, the challenge is to swat away this menace until those uneasy emotions lift and artistic inspiration returns, riding on the wings of hope.