Bridge Drawing

A suggestion for creating a memorial book in honor of a loved one

By

Michaela J. Gagne

A Memorial Book is a valuable way to revisit the life of a loved one and highlight unforgettable memories.  It can be created and collaged with numerous photos, written descriptions, memorabilia, cards, awards, stories, etc.  A Memory Book can be a therapeutic project for the griever.  It features the positive experiences from a loved one’s life, and it provides a way for the living to constantly revisit this cherished life.  The book can be created as a gift to the deceased, a visible expression of the love that is held for this person.

Choose a book and materials that seem comfortable and appropriate for this activity.  Scrapbooking techniques may help provide inspiration for developing the format and lay-out of this book, and there is no end to the creativity that can be used to create such a treasure.   

Other Recommended Resources:

•    Bertman, S.L. (1999). Grief and the Healing Arts: Creativity as Therapy (Death, Value, and Meaning). Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company.
•    Cocuzza-Zambelli, G. (1981). The use of art therapy with children in the bereavement process. In A. Evans, E. Kramer & I. Rosner (Eds.) Art Therapy: A Bridge between Worlds. Falls Church, VA: American Art Therapy Association.
•    Deits, B. (1992). Life After Loss: A Personal Guide Dealing with Death, Divorce, Job Change, and Relocation. Tucson, AZ:Fisher Books.
•    Dissanayake, E. (1988). What is art for? Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.
•    Fitzgerald, H. (1994). The Mourning Handbook. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
•    Furth, G.M. (1988). The Secret World of Drawings: Healing through Art. Boston, MA: Sigo Press.
•    Glick, I., Weiss, R. S., & Parkes, C. M. (1974). The First Year of Bereavement. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
•    Graves, S. (1994). Expressions of Healing. Van Nuys, CA: New Castle Publishing.
•    Hughes, M. (1995). Bereavement and Support: Healing in a Group Environment. Philadelphia, PA: Taylor and Francis.
•    Kahn, A. M. (1990). Coping with fear and grieving. In I. M. Lubkin (Ed.) Chronic illness: Impact and intervention. Boston, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
•    Kelly, K. (1992). The Psychology of Death. New York, NY: Springer Publishing,
•    Keyes, M.F. (1983). The Inward Journey. La Salle, IL: Open Court Books.
•    Kubler-Ross, E. (1981). Living with Death and Dying. New York, NY: Colliers Books.
•    Leick, N. & Davidsen-Nielsen, M. (1991). Healing Pain: Attachment, Loss and Grief Therapy. New York, NY: Routledge.
•    Levi, S., Gilad, R., & Friedman-Kalmovitcz, A. (1996). Pictorial art as a teaching strategy in death education. Nursing Times Research, 1(3), 198-205.
•    Malchiodi, C.  (2002). Art Therapy Sourcebook. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
•    Malchiodi, C.  (2006). Handbook of Art Therapy. USA: McGraw-Hill.
•    Malchiodi, C.  (2002). The Soul's Palette: Drawing on Art's Transformative Powers.  Boston, MA: Shambhala.
•    Miller, J.E. (1992). Helping the Bereaved Celebrate the Holidays: A Sourcebook for Planning Instructional and Remembrance Events. Fort Wayne, IN: Willowgreen Productions.
•    Osterweis, M., Solomon, F., & Green, M. (1984). Bereavement:Reactions, Consequences and Care.Washington, DC: National Academy Press
•    Parkes, C.M. (1986). Bereavement: Studies of Grief in Adult Life. New York, NY: Basic Books.
•    Parkes, C.M. & Weiss, R. S. (1983). Recovery from Bereavement. New York, NY: Basic Books.
•    Platt, L. & Persico, V.R. (1992). Grief in Cross-cultural Perspective: A casebook. New York, NY: Garland Publishing.
•    Rogers, J.E (Ed).  (2007). The Art of Grief: The Use of Expressive Arts in a Grief Support Group (Death, Dying, and Bereavement). New York, NY: Routledge.
•    Rogers, N.  (1993).  The Creative Connection: Expressive Arts as Healing.  Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books, Inc.
•    Sanders, C.M.  (1992).  Surviving Grief and Learning to Live Again.  New York, NY: Wiley.
•    Stack, P.  (2006).  Art Therapy Activities: A Practical Guide for Teachers, Therapists and Parents.  Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
•    Stroebe, W., & Stroebe, M.S. (1987). Bereavement and health. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
•    Zambelli, G.C., Clark, E.J. & Heegaard, M. (1989). Art Therapy for Bereaved Children. In H. Wadeson, J. Durkin, & D. Perach (Eds.), Advances in Art Therapy. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Editor's note: This article concludes a handout used by the author to teach art therapy to parents who have lost a child. The rest of the handout can be found in previous posts.