Grief and mourning come from loss, whether it is the loss of our health, a relationship, a job, a pet, a loved one. Everyone will respond to loss in a different way. Many people confuse grief with sadness but the reality is that grief involves a far wider range of emotions, from anger and confusion to guilt and anxiety. This torrent of emotions can be difficult to process; verbalising our experience of grief almost impossible.

Grieving is a long process, but creating artwork can help begin this process by providing an outlet for thoughts and emotions that can’t be verbalised. You may try to talk it all out, but in the end, the feelings still sit there, unchanged. Creating images can help relieve you of intense emotional pain and help keep the memory of a loved one alive, and to come to terms with the fact that they have gone. Perhaps most importantly the creative process gives us enjoyment. It provides a welcome respite from bereavement and wakes up our playful childlike side and can help us understand ourselves better. Some people say that art is for them a form of meditation; it gives them a sense of peace and calm.

 “Our art process releases the tension of grief, allowing it to expand and contract, while providing a safe container in which this process can take place. When we create, we give ourselves permission to examine all that is happening within our grieving bodies.” 

Douglass Mitchell, therapist

Art reinforces the resilience of humanity; our ability to create beauty and find hope amidst tragedy. In making art, we all, including professional artists, can find relief from fears and anxiety and find new meaning in life through artistic expression. Art is for everyone. Each of us possesses our own special talents and creative gifts and have the right to explore them. The value of healing artwork is in the doing, not the final product. 

Create a Memory Book - vessel of loss

One possible healing activity is to make a memory book about the person you’ve lost. Photographs play a role in shaping our experience of loss as we struggle to retain a lucid remembrance of the face of your lost loved one.

Begin by collecting information and memorabilia about your lost one. Outline his or her life, to give a little structure to the book. Get family and friends to contribute reminiscences. Storytelling is a natural part of the bereavement process and can be healing for everyone involved. Gather snapshots, letters, photos of things they’ve made, ticket stubs or menus from special events, the cover from their favorite album, any other items that have meaning from the life you lost. Paint a picture of who they were.

This project can help you and your family to reminisce and create a living legacy. It helps balance the feelings of finality caused by the loss.

Processes

Lumen printing

Cyanotype

Linocut

Paper making

Photo montage

Writing


In person workshops weekly at St Marys Hall (the Cinema) Buncrana, County Donegal
12.30pm-1.30pm and 2pm to 3pm

All welcome
Call or text Martha or Rebecca on 083 869 6513 to book or reply to this email