Transforming Grief Through Creativity

It’s been one year since my mother passed away from breast cancer, and in this time, I’ve found myself reflecting deeply on how we experience and process grief.

Many people honor anniversaries like this by visiting a gravesite or saying a prayer, but this year, I chose to create a flower bouquet as a tribute to her. This simple act became a powerful moment of connection and a beautiful way to honor her memory.

Growing up in the Midwest, winters were long and harsh. Our home was filled with plants that my mother carefully brought indoors each year to protect them from the cold. As a child, I didn’t share her love for plants and flowers, and even as an adult, I was known for my lack of a green thumb.

My husband would joke about my inability to keep plants alive, wondering how I’d fare as a mother when we were dating. But my mom’s passion for plants and flowers went beyond just keeping them alive. She worked as a florist and landscaper, and in her retirement, she arranged the flowers for her church. She even had a room dedicated to floral materials in her little church—flowers were truly her language of love.

Over time, I’ve come to see grief as a deeply personal experience. My own beliefs about death may differ from others’. I see death as a transition, not an end. I believe that while our physical presence may leave this world, the spirit remains—a fragment of light energy, a piece of the Divine. To me, death is not final; it’s a return to the spirit realm, where our loved ones continue to guide us from a different perspective.

This year, the anniversary of my mother’s passing aligned with a new milestone in my son’s life: his first high school dance. Where we live, it’s traditional for the guys to give their dates a flower bouquet, and I saw this as an opportunity to honor my mom.

Inspired by her love for flowers, I decided to make the bouquet myself. With a little help from YouTube and some fresh flowers from Trader Joe’s, I got to work. As I wrestled with floral tape and tried my best to create something beautiful, I could almost hear my mom chuckling at my efforts.

The act of making that bouquet was a moment of sacred creativity for me. It reminded me that grief doesn’t always have to be about sadness. Honoring my mom in this way felt just as powerful as if I’d visited her grave. And it kept me from getting lost in sorrow. In many ways, this was my own act of transformation—a chance to connect with her spirit through an act that she loved.

Sacred Creativity: A Path to Healing

When I talk about creativity, I don’t just mean making art or playing an instrument. I’m talking about expressing your soul in ways that feel meaningful to you. Sacred creativity is the ability to transform what’s inside of you into something visible and tangible. And it’s a powerful tool for processing grief.

There’s a common belief that if we’re not visibly sad, we aren’t honoring our grief. But that’s just a story we tell ourselves. I know my mom would want me to celebrate her life, not drown in sorrow. She would want me to live fully and joyfully. Creativity allows us to do just that—it provides a way to externalize our feelings, to transform our sadness into something beautiful and uplifting.

And grief doesn’t only apply to the loss of a loved one. We experience grief during any major life transition: a child going off to college, the end of a career, a move to a new place. Each of these changes opens up spaces within us that long for expression. And creating something—whether it’s a bouquet, a meal, or a craft project—helps bring those feelings to the surface. It gives us a chance to process, to make sense of our emotions, and to feel connected to those we love, even if they are no longer physically present.

Finding Your Own Creative Path Through Grief

If you’re navigating a period of grief or transition, I encourage you to explore your own unique way of creating as a way to honor what or whom you’ve lost. Sacred creativity doesn’t have to look a certain way—it can be anything that allows you to express yourself authentically. This might mean picking up a paintbrush, planting a garden, cooking a meal, or simply writing down your thoughts.

Creativity is a bridge to healing, a way of making visible what’s in your heart. It reminds us that our loved ones live on through us, through the beauty and love we bring into the world.

So, take a moment to honor the spaces within you that are seeking expression. Let your creativity lead you on a journey of transformation, one that celebrates the memories, people, and moments that have shaped your life. Remember that grief can be a path to growth and healing, especially when we honor it through acts of creation.

Thank you for taking this journey with me today. May you find solace and connection as you explore your own path of sacred creativity.