Handbook of Ideas for Remembering our Child | tcf.org.uk 6 Remembering through art Our skills vary, but that shouldn’t stand in our way - the process can be as important as the product. We could: • Paint a portrait of our child, or of a place or animal they liked. • Combine both writing and drawing, maybe design a comic or a storyboard as a way of communicating our child’s story. The really creative people amongst us may even go a step further and direct a mini film, if we have the ability. • Get a tattoo dedicated to our child, or a temporary henna tattoo. • Paint our nails in our child’s favourite colour, wear an eye shadow or hair band, or any other item of clothing or accessory in colours they liked. • Use art to represent our child. For instance, a forest scene can represent our own journey after a child’s death; some areas can be calm and peaceful, others are hard to walk through but we learn to get through the good and the bad times, with our child still firmly in our hearts. Remembering through music and sound • We may find comfort in listening to our child’s favourite songs or music tracks, especially if music was important to them. It is worth remembering, however, that music is incredibly evocative and certain music might be painful to hear at times. • We could make playlists or even run a karaoke session based on music they enjoyed. • If we have the skill, we may want to write and/or perform a song with or without lyrics about our child, whether it relates to our feelings about their death, their life, or something else. • We might like to use dance as a way of remembering, whether that is learning a routine that already exists or creating our own. Useful Links psychcentral.com/lib - has an article on the power of music to reduce stress. psychologytoday.com/us/blog - has a blog on meaning in motion: why we should dance. Useful Links paintingsinhospitals.org.uk - search for art can heal our grief.
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