How does or has GRIEF effected your creativity?

[Camille]

Many of us 'Spacers have been through painful periods of grieving, mourning and sorrowing.
Spacers write of loss of their pets, serious health challenges that debilitate, divorces, and loss of family or friends, and then there is catastrophic loss through natural disasters, car accidents, etc.

We grieve when we meet with these critical life challenges. I am grieving right now for the recent loss of a much loved soul-mate. It has made me wonder how our grief and sorrow effects our creativity...

Did you create during times of grieving or put it away?
Did sorrow change your creative habits?
Did you use sorrow as a starting point for a new inspiration?
Did it change the way you made art or the images you produced?

I would love to read of your experiences regarding how grief effected or is effecting your creative live...Please do share here!
Sincerely, Camille

[Barbara Ann Storrier]

Sewing was her passion, and playing piano ... the love of reading and writing came from her ... and dancing, she loved to dance, so did her brother, and he tried to teach me sometimes, we would have a ball dancing and singing at family get togethers :)

[Alfredo]

Hello Marjaka,

You are truly a warrior! Your concept of 'feeling the feelings' is so perfect, not to mention healing. So many people these days drown their feeling with medication. I have always felt that I needed to feel joy and happiness as deeply as pain and sorrow and that all are an expression of living on this earth. Without those feelings I could not be the artist I am.

[MarjakaThriver]

Thanks, Alfredo! Yes I agree: If we can't go to the depths of our pain and sorrows, then we also cannot go to the height of our joy.

[Jules]

Yes. excellent point Marjaka.

[Camille]

Marjaka, this statement is so wise and I agree, totally...that we need to feel the pain, learn from it, let it go, aand fly towards joy and wholeness!!! It's not a linear process for me...did you notice that for yourself, Marjaka?

[debby]

I usualiy feel numb and stay alone talking nothing to anyone seriously. I think about the memories and recall them. The time eases my grief and pain. My uncle suggests not to take the deaths seriously as they are inevitable and we have adverse affect on our health. We must come out of it as soon as possible. So suggests the Verses for Sympathy Cards

[Chris Dunmire]

Camille,

Intense grief coupled with an English 101 writing assignment in my early 20s first opened the door of awareness to me of how writing could become a therapeutic container for my tears. I wrote about the experience years ago (Writing Through the Pain) and am so grateful that I had a place to turn to at that time.

Chris

[Susan Hosken]

Chris,
I have a grief journal which has writings from my times of grief and also ideas for how to deal with the grief including great quotes and helpful hints from other people. Writing is so healing. I also do visual art as well.
lots of love from susan in australia

[Chris Dunmire]

Susan, writing and art are healing, and so tied in with moving (and transforming) the energy of emotion.

[Jules]

I like that Chris " moving (and transforming) the energy of emotion."

Yes. That is what it is. I mostly use a paintbrush for this...but I have kept a journal- some would say morning pages- for years. The writing will often clarify what the paint is telling me.
I will go read your blog- it sounds interesting. Thanks for posting the link :-)

[Barbara Burtchett]

I am not sure there will ever come a time in the future when the hoildays do not remind mE of the loss of my only son or one of my daughters soon afterward.
My son spent his last Christmas with us before passing away unexpectedly on January 19th. My daughtre lost her life after losing her leg on January 4th almost 2 years ago.
Inbetween all of this I lost my husband 2 years ago this coming August. My children enjoyed the holidays whereas my husband went along with whatever I decided on.
I was interested in writing, plus had a few pieces published on line, before so many losses came into my life. I did find journaling a way to release the many feelings that come with the death of loved ones. My on line writing began slipping by the wayside since I could not find the much needed words to express the darkness I felt inside.
After reaching out by opening up before my losses, it was most difficult to write about other things beside the pain I felt after losing my loved ones, so I slipped into the background of life taking my writing with mE. Now we have hidden away so long it is most difficult to find the way back.
I have tried to follow another trail through the darkness. Some days are brighter than others. I feel I will never find my way back to what once was and am most grateful for having the experience of feeling like a writer, once upon a time.

Barbara B.

[Wendy]

Hi Barbara. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of loss that you have been through...and are going through now. I can certainly understand why you've slipped into the background of your life (with your writing). I really admire you for sharing your feelings here and hope you will continue to do so. The amount of grief you have deserves a voice of expression no matter how many times or ways you need to express the same issues over again...it's a deep well that needs some light and nurturing.