Dancing with the Midwives is a book that heals. Delving into the very personal sadness surrounding a still birth, Ann Faison meets her grief with uncommon honesty and openness. The book’s spare writing and delicate drawings shed light on Ann’s grief in a way that shows us how we too can heal. Reading her words and watching how she grows and expands throughout the process allows for a new kind of healing through grief. Healing through Art and Grief.
Art and Grief
How does Art heal grief? How does anyone heal grief? We are all different and we all grieve differently. There is no right way to grieve, just as there is no right way to make art. But all art is good therapy, so grief and creativity go well together. Grief and writing are symbiotic. Grief can be alienating and make us feel we are all alone in the world. When we connect to our sadness, through writing or any creative endeavor, we connect to the universality of sadness, and let people in. Everyone knows sadness. When we express it we allow ourselves to release it. Sharing our grief helps others heal too.
Death, Loss, Still Birth, Miscarriage and Breathing
When someone we love or were ready to love dies, grief is inevitable. But we often don’t have patience for grief. There is no time. We have to move on and get back to our lives. Some feel grieving is a luxury they can’t afford. But in order to live we must breathe. All it takes to make space for grief is slowing down. Walking and breathing slowly. Being with the feelings. Allowing them to pass through. Dancing with the Midwives is a meditation on grief. It’s about slowing down and making space for the process to unfold, slowly and naturally.