Having been around artists most of my life, I can tell you that wanting a month apart to finish work is par for the course. There is nothing weird about him. He does not have boundary issues. He told you what his boundary is very very clearly: he needs to be alone for a month in order to work. The question is whether you can respect it. If you need to be with someone on a daily basis then this man is not for you. It doesn't matter why he is like this. He is like this. And he is not going to change. Knowing why he is like this won't help you change him. Or even understand him. He loves his work and has a hard time with intimacy because of past abuse. If this guy is what you want then you have to figure out a way to cope with the time apart. Take the time to do your own projects, be with your own friends. It's only a month. But if you need daily affirmation then you need to find someone with a more normal lifestyle. Artists are called artists for a reason. I know in the "American Idol" world that everyone thinks that they are "creative" but the fact is that if artists were like normal people they wouldn't be able to create art. This month apart could be a great way to work on your own stuff and then when it's over, he'll be back and he will be totally focussed on you.