Journeying through grief
Journeying through grief activities:
Covering grief felt for the loss of:
* Partners
* Children
* Family
* Friends
* Pets
* Anyone who has a special place in your heart
My Journeying through Grief activities can be participated in as group work i.e with families, friends or as one-on-one sessions. These healing sessions use a form of imaginative play using scenic kits that I have personally created. The process involves cutting out laminated photos or photocopies of photos of the loved one who has passed, as well as the living family members, friends and pets. It can include other items of choice that meant something to them and you, to bring the scene to life. These cut outs are re-created on mini stick stands and embellished with fairy wings or mermaid tails, etc., so it is set outside of space and time.
The art scene you have created is a tender and joyful place to heal and play as it brings everyone visually back together again with love. The box that holds the scene is also embellished and is a place for the cut outs to sleep and stay.
You will find your own special place for the scene and ways to engage with it that are unique to you. It can be set up like a little altar or brought out on significant dates such as birthdays, Christmas, Easter etc. Little gifts or notes can be left in the scene. Dedicating this special place to your loved one who has passed is a very magical and healing experience for those who are ready.
Another art therapy session I do is making bookmarks. Again, this is a process of cutting out the loved one's image - which can include yourself and other family members, friends or pets - and then re-created into something amazing using scrapbooking materials, embellishes, glitter and stick-on letters or words and laminated and cut out to size. This bookmark is a truly beautiful gift to yourself or a family member or friend. It may include your loved one's favourite quotes from a beloved book, or sayings to remind you of them through both words and pictures.
I find working through both Journeying through Grief art activities to be calming, comforting and an extremely peaceful process.