Mapping your loss and your grief.
I'm now writing a book called "The Geography of Loss." It is about the unknown landscape we enter (or are thrown into, as if from a passing car) when we experience a loss in our lives. The death of a loved one, a national tragedy, betrayal by a friend, a daughter leaving for college, looking in the mirror and seeing the aging process writ large, the sinking feeling that accompanies those "what could have been" thoughts.
It is a humbling process, this writing. And while you might think it is draining, it is actually energizing, sparking a creativity that has been missing.
I know now, after several years of writing books, that for me the art of book-making is intricately linked to art-making. I used to describe myself as an artist when I was younger, and haven't for years. Why is that? That, too, is a loss.
So in 2012, I am seeking ways to reconnect to art-making as an identity process, a way of finding who I was and who I am. To do that, I'm reaching out to artists. I've always done that innately, as part of my book-making process–you can see that in the ways art is used in Life is a Verb and all the books that have come after that.
I want to take all that to a new level in 2012, and immerse myself again in the art-making itself.
Does grief and loss spark creativity? I think so, and deeply. That's what I want to explore in 2012. And here are two ways I'm starting that exploration in the spring of 2012. I'd love to have you with me for the journey.
March 17, 2012 – San Diego, California
GROOVE, DRUM, CREATE: A women's retreat on letting go
April 19-22, 2012 near Asheville, NC
Perhaps one of these experiences would be a great holiday gift for someone you love–or for yourself! If you'd like a gift certificate for someone after you've bought a workshop or retreat, we're happy to provide one! Just process your enrollment and connect with melissa@pattidigh.com to ask for a gift certificate!
