Feeling daunted by the guided grief journal, How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed? You’re not alone. Creativity can be hard to access in the best of times, and grief isn’t exactly the best of times.
Two things might get in the way:
One, the prospect of actually engaging in your grief head on can feel overwhelming. What if you start crying and you’re never able to stop? What if the pain is too much? Those are valid concerns. If that sounds like you, check out page 64 in the journal for tools to help manage your emotions when they get too big, and explore the time travel self care instructions on page 81. Setting a definite stopping point for your journal work can help.
Two, most people panic when they think about creating “art.” Many people believe they aren’t good enough, they aren’t “artists,” and therefore shouldn’t even attempt to create anything. And if you *are* an artist? There’s often an internal pressure to make things perfect. You might even think making art is dumb – it’s not going to magically “fix” anything. Wherever you fall in that spectrum of “not an artist – must be perfect artist,” please know there is no perfect way to create. You get to express your own inner self however you see fit. Scribble. Stick figures. Elaborate multi-layered collage. ANYTHING. Trusting the marks you make is a life long process. Give it a go.
Sometimes seeing what other people have done can help you get started. Click on the images below to see examples from readers.
Made up mentor gallery
Personifying grief gallery
