The day I got this image I was feeling Disillusioned, frustrated and a little desperate. Looking at the photo I immediately felt lonely and sad. It took me a few days to accept it as my assignment, because I knew it would force me to face some pain I’d been trying to conceal with optimism. My first thoughts were loneliness, abandonment and fatigue. Lyrically, I just thought: “Help me!” The tallness of the trees gave me a sensation of being trapped in a deep hole or lost in a well, alive, passionate, but forgotten. I imagined this young girl, the sad result of some kind of accident or misfortune, able to see the world outside, screaming for it with all her will to live, but not being heard by anyone. I avoided the image for a few weeks, but it just haunted me. The song came out in one sitting. Once I got started, I felt relieved to have a safe place to address painful feelings. This song, about raw vulnerability, just flowed out. It’s the saddest song I’ve ever written! But, I felt so relieved when it was finished. It was as though I’d hit rock bottom and there was nothing to fear, nowhere to go but up. It felt like the song produced an honest moment that somehow made me trust my instincts again.