Why IGrieveDifferent.org
IGrieveDifferent.org is a safe, supportive space to process your own unique experience.
It’s a space for self-growth, healing and the courage to move forward.
This space honors you as an individual. It belongs to you without being measured against others;
Because your path through grief is as personal and unique as you are.
“I Grieve Different” is also the title given to a piece of art that is inspiring in many ways.
One of my most treasured possessions is a photo series taken by my father. I distinctly remember when the photos were taken. Because I was so young when he died, any memory that I recall is very precious. I also still have the paper photos: physical proof of that moment that I can always return to. I always wanted to highlight them in some special way.
A few years ago, I visited an exhibition by an artist I admire. In the middle of his exhibit, on a smaller but central wall, was the “i Grieve Different” piece. I was immediately struck by the child’s position, which was the same stance I had in one image in my own series. His image is full of beautiful symbols and words that resonate and represent my own search for comfort and meaning.
I bought the piece and framed it along with my personal series. Together they represent my own special journey of love, grief, healing and movement into my own unique future.
From the Artist, in His Own Words
"The piece I Grieve Different was inspired by the song 'United Grief' by Kendrick Lamar and the Big Steppers from their 2022 album, Mr. Morale. The drawing is a version of myself placed in a black void. At the time, this represented my shadow-the part of myself that I believe handles grief.
For me, situations that might take years or months of therapy for others can be understood and resolved in the time it takes to create a work of art. On this path, solitude has rarely been absent. The immense amount of time I spend alone as an artist allows me to heal deeply, without the distraction of others reopening wounds before I've had the chance to make sense of what happened to me.
This is something I've noticed not everyone has-alone time. With so many distractions available today, it's easy to pull our attention away from the one who needs it most: ourselves."
i.B.O.M.S