Although periods of grief or challenging times can feel like a time you feel unworthy of spending time creating, it’s actually one of the most healing ways you can work through grief. Creating through grief is a remarkably beautiful experience if you’re open to it.
In this post, I share what’s personally helped me and my clients heal through challenging times and grief with their creative gifts. That said, this post is not intended to be taken as direct advice and does not replace the need for therapeutic intervention during grief or hard times. This post is also not intended to gloss over the trauma that can arise from loss and grief.
This post is simply to provide some light and inspiration amidst the darkness…
Born to Create
Since the dawn of time, we have related to one another through our sense of creativity, especially during periods of grief and other complex emotions. Telling stories around the campfire to painting tales of our ancestors onto stone. Great symphonies composed throughout war and strife, to graffiti artists telling the story of a city. As a species, we have always found ways to create even amid peril, grief or adversity.
We were each born to create. Whether you’re an artist, a creative artisan, or never created a piece of art in your life… You ARE a creative person. And being creative doesn’t have to look any one way. It doesn’t have to be that you’re into visual or music arts. It could be that you channel your beautiful creativity in the way you parent or in the way you manage your team at work. Creativity is a mindset… take it from the dictionary:
“… the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.”
Dictionary definition of Creativity
The beauty of it all is that… Creativity is limitless and accessible to all.
‘If you’re alive, you’re a creative person. “
Elizabeth Gilbert
Grief Art Therapy
Art therapy is a discipline that has grown more widely popular and specifically, grief art therapy is designed to help you cope during periods of grief. Creating a scrapbook for someone you’ve lost is an example of integrating art into a therapeutic grieving process.
Art and creative activities support mindfulness, which helps regulate emotions like anger and sadness during grief.
But it’s important to note that grief isn’t always in the form of bereavement or the physical death of another.
Grief can also come from many other areas of our lives, such as …
- Letting go of a relationship
- Releasing an old part of yourself that no longer serves you
De–Vilianizing Grief With Acceptance
Reframing grief is an important step to take because we don’t want to feel we have to banish this emotional experience. Banishing or burying these feelings will only make them ‘disappear’ temporarily…
Accepting this emotion and recognizing that it is simply just a period of your life is essential to allow for healing.
This is the opportunity for practicing shadow work, accepting the sides of yourself and emotions that you typically would avoid or bury, and channel this shadow work into a creative endeavour. Creating through grief and shadow periods can yield beautiful results..
Creating Through Grief: Examples From History
Countless examples of ancient, contemporary and modern art display beauty created even amidst times of grief and darkness.
Consider historical ancient ruins like the Pyramids of Giza, traditionally used as burial sites that now stand as some of the world’s most beautiful and breathtaking art and architecture.
Famous artists Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo and Pablo Picasso are just a few of the numerous artists who created art focused on loss and grief, and as a means to work through feelings of grief and loss.
Beauty is created even amidst the darkest of times...
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light”
Albus Dumbledore
Bonus: Ideas for Using Art + Creativity To Cope With Grief…
- If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, create a scrapbook of your photos and memories together, or create a quilt using their clothing.
- On a self-healing journey and grieving the loss of a past version of yourself? Write a letter to this past version of yourself and let her know how you’re here now to hold her emotions and feelings and move through them. Tell her about what’s waiting for her here on the other side.
- Go on a walk in nature and select a few rocks that you’re drawn towards. Bring them home to your garden and create a sculpture with your findings.
- Practicing mindfulness by colouring
- Create a playlist of music that makes you feel good and relaxed.
This post is not intended to provide an alternative to trauma or therapeutic interventions and is in no way providing medical or therapeutic advice.
If you’re navigating a challenging period mentally or emotionally as you cope with grief, please consider additional resources such as:
National Mental Health Hotline: USA
Practice Mindfulness + Creativity
Get creative, practice mindfulness and deeply relax with colouring, a proven mindfulness activity. Download this free colouring book now with hand-drawn mandalas by yours truly.
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