The Path Through Loss & Grief: How Do Creativity and Art Help Us Along the Journey?

Experiences of major loss and grief, expected or not, can happen at any point in life. Oftentimes, they are profound and challenging. As we continue moving through life, we hope to find solace when reflecting on who or what we have lost. We search for understanding and support from family and friends, spiritual or religious guides, prayers and meditations, or conversations with the Divine. When we engage with our own, or perhaps someone else’s, creative processes, we reveal a collection of coping mechanisms that provide us the opportunity to view our journey of grief through a different lens. There is tremendous power in memorializing our losses creatively; both the process and the product help us develop an entirely new understanding of who we are, our interconnectedness with each other and God, and how to live more fully in peace throughout the days ahead.

In this full-day workshop, we will share personal stories, whether old or new, and examine the frameworks of grief to better understand how individually such losses affect us. We invite you to engage with and participate in creating and appreciating audio, visual, and written works from poets, artists, performers, dancers, and musicians, and share anyone else whose work has been meaningful or soothing to you throughout your own course. Here, we will hold space for resource sharing and accompany each other for another day of the journey.

Schedule
9:00 Welcome & Introductions
9:00-10:30 Morning Session I
10:30 Break
10:45 Morning Session II
12:00 Lunch
1:15 Afternoon Session I
2:30 Break
2:45-4:00 Afternoon Session II