When Words are not Enough: Creative Responses to Grief

When Words are Not Enough explores the many ways that bereaved families find to express their loss. The authors’ son was killed in a traffic accident in 2011. Ten years on they reflect on their journey and how they have used their creativity to survive their grief and create a new relationship with their son Josh. The charity they created, The Good Grief Project, is based on ideas that flow from the concept of ‘continuing bonds’, of not wanting to cut off from the deceased, but of building a new kind of relationship with the deceased. Their mission is to support families grieving after the untimely death of a loved one, particularly the death of a child. And to promote an understanding of what it means to grieve in a society that often has difficulty talking openly about death, dying and bereavement. Grieving is hard work – it is tough, emotional and very challenging work. It is full of contradictions – we are trying to forget the pain and remember our loved one at the same time. But while it can be a very lonely experience, grief can also be a wonderful educator with new discoveries to be had. ‘When Words Are Not Enough is our attempt to bridge the divide between the silence that surrounds grief and the lived experience of the bereaved.’ Jane Harris  'Over time we have come to realise that our grief has been a series of creative acts.' Jimmy Edmonds Beautifully illustrated, the book explores their own responses to Josh’s death along with contributions from 14 others who have also found solace from doing and creating new things following the death of a loved one.