Finding Inspiration in Grief: How Loss Shapes My Creative Process

When I lost my parents back in 2022, I felt completely lost and alone. I didn’t sketch, I didn’t practice calligraphy; I just survived.

It wasn’t until early 2023, around the time of my parents’ one-year death anniversary, that Bonnie Christine opened enrollment for her course Immersion. I had signed up for this course back in 2021, but I never completed it. I had been wanting to get back into creating again, so I thought this would be my opportunity to infuse creativity back into my life.

Part of the process in this course was to gather inspiration in order to create a collection of patterns. I was immediately struck with the idea of creating a collection that I could honor my parents with. The first inspiration I pulled from were two pictures I had taken of a Blue Jay and a Red Cardinal that often visited my home soon after my parents died. My kids and I would say it was “Abuela” and “Abuelo” visiting us. These two little birds were the inspiration behind my first mini collection, Take Flight.

From these photos, I sketched various motifs and pulled more inspiration from things like my mother’s shirt, old Mexican embroidery patterns, recipes, etc.

I worked with these elements in Adobe Illustrator to create my first mini collection. It was one of the most meaningful projects I ever worked on. Take Flight became, in a way, a love letter to my parents, an expression of emotion and beautiful memory to look back on with love. Each pattern represents a story, a feeling, or a prayer. This course has allowed me to discover how I can transform my grief into beautiful patterns, how to be inspired by memories, and express all that love into my art.

What inspires your creative process? Are you a fellow griever wanting to navigate your grief and creativity? Share below how you’ve been inspired to create.