It’s all about Art and Healing: Conferences, Artist Talks & Exhibition
I am a passionate person and some of the things that I am passionate about include: Family Creativity Healing There are some exciting events coming up that bring together my passions and I would love to share them with you. FEBRUARY 2014 “The Quiet Rebuild” Exhibition February 1-28, 2014 – Friday, February 7, 2013, 6 – 10 p.m. Art Central, 100 – 7th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada Fridays, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. & Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. OR by appointment, 780-499-4311 Exhibition description: Award winning photographer Alexis Marie Chute has created a series of provocative images of individuals in their time of healing following hardship. The portraits are symbolic of the regrowth of a forest after wildfire. As new growth...
Read MoreCreativity to Ease the Pain
I have been an artist and writer all my life. Somehow I refused to let go of the child-like desire to color, paint, build block towers, write short stories and pen poetry as I grew. Working as an artist and writer have been very fulfilling for me. Then when Zachary died, I stopped. For one whole year, what I call my Year of Distraction, I couldn’t be creative nor did I even try. I lost myself in so many ways. It was when I got back into my work that I realized the amazing potential of creativity to help find a way through my grief – and this creativity is not reserved for just professional artists and writers. It’s for everyone. Creativity itself is mysterious, spiritual and healing. Creativity taps into a different part of our brains and allows us to express...
Read MoreGuest Blogging on The Stars Apart
It is always fun to make friends through blogging. I discovered a kindred spirit in Lisa Sissons who writes a blog called The Stars Apart. She too has lost a child and also, coincidentally, lives in Edmonton, Alberta. Today Lisa published a guest blog post I wrote for The Stars Apart about my experience losing Zachary. It is called, “A Change of Plans.” Anyone who has lost a child will understand the loss of future and needed change of plans that this experience necessitates. As always, I hope my words can be an encouragement to readers. Grief can be a long journey but it needn’t be a lonely one. I believe we are stronger, better, smarter, happier and healthier together. Together we can get through our most trying times. Please check out The Stars Apart. You can...
Read MoreArt and Healing in The Quiet Rebuild
After Zachary died, I lost myself. This included ‘Alexis Marie Chute the artist.’ It wasn’t until I began to fight my way out of what I call my Year of Distraction that I rediscovered this part of myself. For the last year I have been the Artist in Residence at an Edmonton based gallery and artist run centre called Harcourt House. It is at Harcourt House that I have been creating a body of art called The Quiet Rebuild. This work centers on the idea that we humans have amazing resiliency to rebuild our lives after hardship. If you are reading this and have lost a child, you know what I mean. You are forced to move on without someone very precious to you. Even though you may scream in pain or weep away all your tears, the journey of rebuilding your life is a quiet,...
Read MoreOut of Sight but Not Out of Mind
I’m sure you have heard the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” It makes me think of all the little household projects I want to do but haven’t gotten around to since the supplies are tucked neatly away. Whenever I open our laundry room cupboard I see the paint to touch up our scratched table and think, ‘Oh ya, I forgot about that!’ but once the door is closed once more I forget about the paint all over again. Out of sight, out of mind. This phrase bothers me when I think about Zachary. He is not with me, he is not physically in sight but that does not mean he is ever far from my mind. I think about my son every day. For me, my child is out of sight but not out of mind. One blessing of having other children is being able to look at them and see my son. Hannah...
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