Easing child loss grief by creating art is an important strategy. There is a strong connection between creating art and easing grief. The arts can be of great comfort when it comes to coping with grief. Unbelievably, the great Baroque composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, who lived in Germany from 1685 to 1750, lost twelve children during his sixty-five years. His first wife (and second cousin) birthed seven children. Four of them lived to adulthood. Bach's second wife gave him thirteen children, four of whom were privileged to become adults. So, by doing the math, he was father to twenty children, but only eight survived into adulthood.
With my own grief journey of losing a child, I noticed that I have been drawn to creating art. For me, it was drawing circular designs as well as writing sonnets which most attracted me during the heavy parts of my grieving the loss of our son. I also found that what I was drawn to do seemed more complex than what I need to do now. It felt that the complexity seemed to soothe me more.
Bach's Music - Creating Art
Bach's music, as well as others of the Baroque era, was quite complex. I do not know if there is a relationship between the complexity of his compositions and his loss of a dozen children, but I do wonder, simply from my own experience of having lost one.
Here is one of his well known masterpieces.
This is one of my favorite Bach pieces. I love to play this one on my piano, although my rendition is not concert ready!
A Couple of My Pieces
Here is one of my visual pieces I created the year after we lost our son.
This next example is not from my period of deep grief. However, I share this simply because it is a sonnet and that was the type of poem I was drawn to write while deeply grieving. This type of poem is extremely structured. It contains an ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme pattern. Each line has five iambic pentameter feet. Or, in layman's terms, each of the fourteen lines contains ten beats, light then heavy, sounding like a beating heart. I am sure you agree that this type of poem is obsessively complex! My secondary reason for sharing this particular poem is that it speaks to the artistic high an artist may have, whether a musician, visual artist, writer, dancer, etc. It is this very feeling which counteracts the opposing emotion of grief.
Artistic Ecstasy
The thrill of writing poetry is mine!
The ecstasy of art flows from my hands.
To write or paint or play a well placed line,
transports my soul to visit distant lands.
My fingers dance upon the keys of life -
the pearly whites, the ebony, with bliss.
My music sweeps and keeps away the strife;
my brush and pen can sooth me like a kiss.
That glowing, shivery feeling from the arts,
could be endorphins if a scientist,
But Mozart mused was love within our hearts.
That bubbling joyous gift from sublime mist
fulfills my being, makes my spirit sing -
Must be a fluttering of angel's wings!
Copyright 2024 Linda Wolfe
Easing Child Loss Grief
As a life long artist as well as a retired teacher of visual arts, I can speak to the incalculable benefits of practicing any of the arts. While I am not an art therapist, I know from first hand experience how comforting the arts can be. If anyone is grieving, no matter the cause, there is likely an art practice which could bring some peace and healing. Here is a website which includes some potential activities to ease your journey. https://www.opentohope.com/10-artistic-activities-to-help-with-grief/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwhIS0BhBqEiwADAUhc4uDvTyMvUVUrEMnQO_tKqRrydEjSsgU8GzW1Dotfd0XMrn3NcxsExoCytEQAvD_BwE This next site is one of my blogs which relates the critical role the arts can play in being a healthy human ARTS A Bridge To Life. If you do not quite feel ready to sooth yourself with the arts, perhaps Tuning into Healing: Grief could be in order. May you find solace.
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