Lament Portals For Post-Traumatic Growth

A three part art emergence for all manner of loss

We are in a time of great loss, both tangible and intangible. If you’ve experienced the death of a loved one, you know the tone and timber of grief well, the way it inhabits your lungs with a weight that draws you nearer to the earth with every breath. Many who have not suffered the loss of a loved one are feeling grief as well. For some, maybe for you, there is a sense of the world not being the same as it used to be. This may be due to the pandemic, to climate chaos, institutional collapse, a divorce or the loss of your vibrant health. These are intangible losses that are difficult to put our finger on, so we sometimes forget they need to be grieved. When we do not tend our grief and honor our losses, we are leaving the absence to be grieved by the next generation. Grief need not be dark, dreary or dismal. Grief after all, is love’s song, for we grieve for that which we loved. Praise, then, good praise, always has some grief in it because when we praise, we know what there is to lose. So that praise comes with a heart swelling joy, even tears, that is hard to distinguish from grief because, really, they are the same. And in this way, we actually become more alive. Our bones begin to sing with gratitude for the opportunity to love more and to be of service again with each sunrise.

To grieve well is to become resilient. It’s an important skill just like knowing how to prepare food for yourself. Losses keep piling up as we age and in these times of uncertainty to age, to lose, to grieve can begin to feel unbearable. I want you to know that you are not alone. Grief is not spoken of nearly as much as it should be, yet most of us are experiencing it without explicitly naming it. The purpose of this art emergence is name it, to claim it, to transform it and to find its gifts. Loss is a doorway and as such, we do get to pass through it. My aspiration for you is that you walk through the door well companioned and join your grief with the ocean of others’ grief so that we may hold it all together, so that when you feel your own hot tears, you know they are of the same ocean to which we all belong.

What is a lament Portal?

A lament portal is a space you cultivate to give a location and animation to your loss. It can be an altar, a shadowbox, a small piece of art, a single candle or many, a garden, a collection of rocks or pictures or a special place in nature that nurtures you. In this class, you will be introduced to a few specific art processes for cultivating your portal. You will learn to make photo transfers, construct land art and make assemblages.

Three Part Therapeutic Art Emergence

Why art?

When we experience a loss, our nervous systems often go into a fight or flight mode, causing anxiety & depression as well as many other predictable symptoms that can disrupt our lives. Anxiety and depression can deplete our vitality. For many, talking about the loss can ease these symptoms. For some, talking about it can keep the body in a state of distress. Working through emotions and integrating the loss can be better served by creative expression, song, ritual and visual bathing in art.

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