"The Living" (original poem by Kat Healy)
"The Living" is a poem I wrote for my Master's submission in 2020. I know this piece relates to many people who've experienced the strangeness of grief. I wanted to write about the process of adapting through the challenges, and how, eventually, how we learn to live with it.
Often, I felt I was staring out of my body into an ocean of people moving on with a sense of ease. I noticed the uninterrupted daily routine of others. Yet, my own way forward felt tormented and unstable.
It's taken me years to adapt. Leaning on my writing, artwork, and music has been a massive factor in coming back to myself.
One of the most fascinating aspects of using creativity as a way to manoeuvre through personal challenges is that it opens up a pathway to connection. When you feel able to share your reflections (in any creative medium), others can relate to your experiences. Quietly, respectfully, they can reach out and say, "I know what you mean, I get that, I've been there, too." This kind of emotional support and connection is comforting and vindicating - a powerful tool for healing.
Often, I felt I was staring out of my body into an ocean of people moving on with a sense of ease. I noticed the uninterrupted daily routine of others. Yet, my own way forward felt tormented and unstable.
It's taken me years to adapt. Leaning on my writing, artwork, and music has been a massive factor in coming back to myself.
One of the most fascinating aspects of using creativity as a way to manoeuvre through personal challenges is that it opens up a pathway to connection. When you feel able to share your reflections (in any creative medium), others can relate to your experiences. Quietly, respectfully, they can reach out and say, "I know what you mean, I get that, I've been there, too." This kind of emotional support and connection is comforting and vindicating - a powerful tool for healing.
We are all wired to create and everyday life presents myriad opportunities to exercise and express that creativity" (S. B Kaufman, Carolyn Gregoire)
It's widely accepted that we humans thrive on social, emotional connection. Creativity can be the conduit to this, helping us release negative thoughts and destructive, lonely patterns of emotional self-harm.
I am passionate about sharing this practice with others. I love to hear how people use their creativity to transform their moods and bring them to a joyful, more peaceful place - even for a short time.
Once you learn to harness a creative practice, you can lean on it more regularly, like a moving, reflective meditation.
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Join me for my Autumn Watercolour Workshops! Learn how to use the medium in a fun and accessible way. Treat yourself or someone you love to two hours of self-care and creativity.
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