Karolina Jonderko - " Portrait With My Mother "

I have learned that there is no time line for grieving. When my first husband died at the age of 26, while in my last year of University in 1980, I excelled in my art work. Creating art helped me to grieve. Many artists use there work as a vehicle to process their grief. It's something I think for many artists is a natural inclination, even if we are not fully conscious of this at the time. Creativity is a conduit for processing and communicating deep heart ache.

Karolina Jonderko I think, found this to be true for her, inadvertently with no intention of sharing what she was doing after the death of her mother, who had been very sick with cancer. She began to take a series of photographs of herself, in her mothers clothes. To some this might seem morbid, and perhaps not being able to let go. There is never a set formula in knowing how to grieve if we have not experienced it personally, in such a profound way, and it think it is different for all of us, though we can identify with many of the feelings.

When those we love die, it is profound, death is profound, as is life, neither are easy but both can be very beautiful. I believe mortality is what gives our lives meaning.

A few years back I learned about Caitlyn Doughty a member of The Order of The Good Death, and a mortician in Los Angeles, Califonia. Her approach and attitude toward death I believe we can all learn and benefit from, as our society has kept death at arms length. We don't want to talk about it.

People need to be allowed to grieve in what ever way they wish. However suppression of feelings after a period of time becomes repression, which is toxic to our health and happiness. I can't think of any more proactive way to communicate emotion, than expressing ourselves through creating art work.

Here's the link to an interview with Karolina Jonderko about her exhibit of photography, Portrait With My Mother.

Joni Mitchell/ World Mental Health Day

Today is World Mental Health Day.

Growing up with loved ones who suffered from mental illness and being affected by this, Joni Mitchell's music and lyrics were sanctuary and a kind of therapy to me, not unlike every other young teenaged girl growing up in the sixties. She helped me grow up, understand myself, and gave me comfort, in feeling like I was not alone in my mental angst and despair. I always knew in my heart, that she had experienced similar feelings in one way or another.

Today the site Brain Pickings has a post written by Maria Popova entitled, Joni Mitchell On Therapy and The Creative Mind, and about Joni Mitchell's new book, Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words.

“Art holds out the promise of inner wholeness"

The recent tragic and brutal death of Harley Lawrence in Berwick, Nova Scotia was very disturbing to say the least , made my heart ache and sick. It wasn't only because it was Harley. I did not know the man. But, because I have known many like him as a worker with troubled youth at risk, post-psychiatric patients, mentally challenged folks and working with both adult and young offenders.

 I understand with first handed experience, these struggles, after seeing my late father, brother and husband throughout the years, suffer with addiction, mental illness and living on the street.

This kind of tragedy, sad to say, does not surprise me. It often makes me feel helpless, and sorrowful because of the kind of society and world we live in. The harrowing trials that so many marginalized folks experience, falling through the cracks within a broken system and government that seems to heartlessly chew and spit people out, especially if you don't have the wherewith all to advocate for yourself or no one to give you hope.

I am blessed to have a faith in a God of my understanding, that gives me many reasons to be hopeful, and filled with gratitude for everyday. Art and creativity from a young age, always was my great tool I used throughout life, enabling me to cope. It was truly my therapy and gave me solace, when I felt the world chaotically falling apart within and all around me. It is often difficult to know how to express this in tangible words. I intuitively knew art helped me, in ways I didn't understand, but I knew it worked. As I grew older I came to understand why, though I still can't explain it succinctly.

This article from the book by I found yesterday originally posted via Agora Gallery blog update via a post from a great site, Brain Pickings, featured the book Art As Therapy by Philosopher Alain de Botton, and Art Historian John Armstrong who wrote about, the 7 Psychological Functions of Art.

After feelings of frustration and sadness yesterday, I intently searched for something, anything related to how art and creativity can shine a light in the darkness. I found it waiting for me in my inbox. It made me feel excited, good and affirmed, because it  puts it all together for me, why I am an artist, and why art is so essential to life. I know art can't solve all the woes of this life in our troubled world but it, certainly can make a difference if we are honestly willing to keep our hearts, and our minds open to the healing powers of art and creativity.


Rest In Peace Harley Lawrence