New Thread--Dateline NBC last night--Art Therapy

[OfficeSlave]

Did anyone catch Dateline last night (3/7/2)? They had a wonderful
piece on the
children of parents who perished on 9/11 and during Hurricane
Floyd.The focus of this was art therapy.
As expected, I was heart broken seeing these grieving kids,b ut
I was in awe of how the children were able to expess them selfs via
paint and collage.
It got me thinking that this weekend, I am going to go to the local
art mega mart and get some art supplies. Perhaps splashing some paint
around could be just as cathartic as writing.

Has anyone done art therapy--organized or on their own? Has anyone
channeled their grief into a art project?

jess

[Catherine]

When I was younger Jess, I used art therapy and it's a wonderful method
of healing. When my sister was ill, I attended counselling at the Cancer
Clinic in "preparation" for her death (are we ever prepared?)
Anyhow...in that clinic the patients themselves, the ones that were
terminally ill did amazing works in art therapy and the counsellor told
me it was one of the best 'tools' they had for patients and families.
The paintings were all over the hospital. In a way, it reminds me of the
huge "Aids quilt project" ... I wonder if that is still going???
Anything that allows a person to express themselves after a loss or in
the anticipation of a loss, etc., has got to be good! I say go for it
'Picasso':)

Catherine

[Sunangel51675]

HI JESS! yes i saw that show and my surving children did art therapy when my
daughter was killed they were 6 months,4,7,8,9 ..they went through alot . they
also wrote letters for example my 8 year old was mad at the hospital so she
wrote them a letter asking them why they couldnt fix her sister ,she also wrote
the boy who ra over her .we didnt mail them but kept them for her viewing at an
older time she is now almost 14 and still draws pics of broken hearts .. good
luck with the art !
love jeri

I am not afraid to die! because i want to live! sunshine landon

[Daniel]

I remodeled my bathroom . . . (it's a guy thing, I think) . . . and I do
more gardening, in honor of Mom and as a way to "be with her". My daughter
(12) is getting into quilting; she did a patchwork hummingbird quilt block
that clearly was a way of dealing with her loss of her grandma (Mom was a
great fan of anything with hummingbirds!). I think the art thing is a
grand idea, I am planning now to borrow my 6 yr old's art stuff... :)

--
Daniel
deltae...@usa.net

[ana.lili]

My son died in the fall. I painted all my basement walls in colourful
leaves. I even collected real fall leaves and they too are on the wall. We
have wonderful colours of fall leaves in Canada. My friends keep asking
what I am going to do next. All I want to do is be creative. I even
started making my own jewellery. These are things I have never done before.
It is as if I am a new person.

ana
"OfficeSlave" <jess...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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[jm]

No, but I think that's a wonderful idea. I find my solace in writing,
though, I don't think it's the same kind of release as drawing paint over
canvas.

"OfficeSlave" <jess...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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[LITTLEPJoo]

Jess, at Hospice, we did art therapy. We did a collage, all pics of atuff that
reminded us of who we lost. And we did plant pots. We painted them, then
included a handwritten, on the pot, a quote or song of the lost loved one. I
write the words to the song "spirit in the sky" on mine. That's what Mom wants
play LOUD when we scatter her ashes.
PJ

[Susan]

Hello Jess,

When I lost my 28 year old son on Christmas day 1996, I was filled with
so much pain I just became numb. After a few months of journaling and
trying to make sense of my life I thought "you have to do something
positive with all this grief". As quickly as my thought entered my mind,
the answer came right back. Draw....sketch....paint....use your hands
and mind to create something on paper. I started very slowly....first
with just a pencil and paper, then I bought a few brushes and some
watercolor paper.....but with each tube of watercolor I bought I felt
better.....both physically and spiritually. Even going to the art store
was a healing!

I have been painting (watercolor is my passion, but I've taken classes in
Chinese brush painting too) for almost the entire 5 years and 2 plus
months since I lost Jason. And I can't tell you how much this as helped
me! I get up at 5am every morning and paint for over an hour......and
each and everyday as been pure pleasure. Yes, there were days that my
tears stained the paper....but being creative in this way as been a true
Godsend.......and I know that Jason would have wanted me to remember him
in such a wonderful way.

Please give it a try, you may be surprised at how much joy and peace it
will bring.

God bless,
Susan