How do you come to terms with the loss of a loved one and how do you find your new normal?
I find my art journal is a place of safety, where I can express emotions and process grief. I create a page full of the memories and highlights that celebrate ‘ a life lived well.’
When my mum passed in her early nineties, my art journal was the place to go. Having enjoyed many Spring days in mum’s garden before she died, this was the theme I chose to follow. Using sketches and photos, our childhood garden emerged with flowers, the apple tree and a billowing washing line.
Clearing mum’s house out, stirred up a mixture of emotions. My family collected useful tools, crockery and table wear as keepsakes but my treasure was the memorabilia I found. Letters, documents, keys, cards, patterns and recipes. There were even vintage cards to celebrate my mum’s twenty first birthday, her wedding and my birth.
To create memories for my sister, I went from journal to canvas. The stash from mum’s, provided a rich background of collage and the garden I was hoping for appeared. A lovely photo of mum as a young woman became the focus as I placed her under the apple tree. I worked through a lot of grief, rummaging through mum’s stuff and I came to appreciate her whole life.
Amongst the memorabilia, I found a school sketchbook full of my late dad’s botanical drawings. As these were much admired by my brother and his wife, I collaged them into a set of pictures and they now hang on their wall. Although my dad had passed a few years earlier than mum, I found myself grieving the loss of both of them so this project was an enjoyable way to grieve and celebrate.
When grief comes calling try a creative approach. Turn loss into a celebration of life and make some pictures to remember your loved one. If you want to try a journal page, check out my ‘How to - Process Grief’ post for step by step instructions.