The Art of Loss Series

Watching a move, staring at a painting, or listening to a meaningful song can impact you in ways you never knew possible after loss.

These reminders and feelings pop up everywhere, in a commercial or page in a book—for myself, it really started to hit me once I began watching TV, reading, or listening to music again after the loss of my mom.

I couldn’t listen to music for months while grieving, everything hit me far too hard, to the point that I had to avoid it. And truthfully, it still does—I’ll hear songs and I am instantly shattered to my core—I can’t help but to get an overwhelming flood of emotions. It’s tougher than I can adequately describe. At times, it can help me build strength, but at other times it hits me like a ton of bricks and puts me into one of my aforementioned Lulls.

Paintings, although during Covid have been less easy to see, have given me a feeling of comfort. I find myself drawn to the beauty in the brushstroke and can get lost in them. It’s detail, intention, and color bring me to a place that I find contentment in that moment. Fleeting feelings, yet feelings that are welcomed.

Movies and shows are hit or miss—in regards to how they will make me feel, it’s very difficult to predict. The common thread is no matter what the genre, no matter the plot--something will remind you of your loss. It’s nearly unavoidable and so tough, yet, many times I can find myself inspired by the movies I watch, inspired to live greater for my mom. That’s been a common theme of my blogs so far and I do not want to lose this desire or drive.

This is the first post of my, “The Art of Loss” series. I will write about the impact a movie, book, song, etc. had on my grief. I wanted to start this series that analyzes pop culture artifacts and the impact it has on my grief. My hope is that analyzing these artifacts will lead to positive growth, as well as, an awareness of what others can expect when trying to return to the new normal after losing a loved one.

My first post in this series will be published next week and will be about my recent experience watching the Pixar movie, Soul.

-Alex