Art as a Healing Tool: Expressing Grief Through Creativity

Art has always been seen as a powerful way to convey complex emotions, especially during periods of grief. Engaging in creative activities enables individuals to process their feelings in a tangible manner, promoting healing and personal development. Many famous artists, such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, and Juan Luna, have used their visual artistic skills to express grief and complex emotions. Similarly, renowned singers and composers like Sarah Geronimo, Ryan Cayabyab, Taylor Swift, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have conveyed their emotions through music. This shows that creating visual or auditory expressions of their feelings helps them navigate complicated experiences.

    As an artist, I have utilized art as a means to express my grief and to process a wide range of emotions throughout my life. Art has been my voice, helping me articulate pain, joy, and all the nuances in between. I share some of my artworks online so that others might see their own experiences echoed in my creations; art has become my universal language for emotion and healing.

Art therapy offers a structured method for utilizing creativity to express emotions. By engaging in activities in visual arts or through making music, individuals can externalize their inner experiences, making it simpler to explore and comprehend their feelings. This approach can be particularly beneficial for those who find it difficult to express their feelings verbally.

Having a creative outlet can provide multiple benefits to those who are going through grief, such as:

• Area of Expression: The mere action of creating art serves as an emotional outlet to express feelings that are generally troubling to verbalize.

• Gaining Control: Creating things helps individuals feel intact and secure in a time period such as this when life tends to feel very overwhelming.

• Creating a Lasting Impression: Art can serve as a personal tribute, a way to exhibit a piece of your visual or auditory work acts as a way to honor the memory of your loved one. 

Many people have found comfort in art throughout their grieving journey. For instance, artist and blogger Gail Sibley uses pastel colors to help cope with the loss of a loved one. She described the creative process as a therapeutic journey that allowed her to express and manage her grief. For me, painting and digital illustration serve as outlets for my emotions, whether I'm dealing with the pain of loss or celebrating a joyful memory. I often use surrealism as an art style in my pieces, as it allows me to express myself more fully and craft a narrative or theme within my artwork.

Below are examples to incorporate art as a healing mechanism for those inclined to try it:

• Journaling with Art: Writing essays or poems while embedding sketches or emotional collages alongside them.

• Memorial Boxes: Decorate and customize boxes that contain the mementos of loved ones whom you wish to remember for.

• Music therapy: Engaging in music therapy allows individuals to express emotions and process experiences through musical activities.

All of these activities can assist with mourning whether performed on one’s own or under the supervision of a therapist.

Art serves as a powerful means for remembering and dealing with grief. It helps us to release pent-up emotions that may be difficult to confront but are essential for improving our mental well-being and preserving the memories of those who have died. Moreover, it gives us the opportunity to honor their lives while discovering beauty in our healing journey.
 

Author:

Bianca Coleen De Rosario, Graphic Artist

References:

1. Artst.org. (n.d.). Sad paintings: Exploring emotions through art. Retrieved from https://www.artst.org/sad-paintings/

2. Grief Stories. (n.d.). There one day and gone the next: Art therapy and grief. Retrieved from https://www.griefstories.org/there-one-day-and-gone-the-next-art-therapy-and-grief/

3. Mindful Art Studio. (n.d.). How I grieved my brother’s death through art. Retrieved from https://mindfulartstudio.com/how-i-grieved-my-brothers-death-through-art

4. Journal ATP. (n.d.). Art therapy and grief. Retrieved from https://journal.atp.art/art-therapy/

5. Sibley, G. (2018, January). Grief and art. How to Pastel. Retrieved from https://www.howtopastel.com/2018/01/grief-and-art/