PART TWO: Full Circle Funerals talks creativity after bereavement

The funeral franchise recently spoke with support worker Emma Pickering about finding a creative outlet after a loss.

The funeral franchise shared Emma’s insights in a new blog post on the Full Circle Funerals website. Emma works for Carers Leeds, and she’s very passionate about getting creative in order to process the sadnesses and sorrows of life. This is the second of two Point Franchise articles recounting Emma’s story.

When asked to advise on what to say to someone who is grieving, Emma said, “Nobody’s experience of grief is the same, so even if you have experienced grief before or supported someone through loss, another person’s experience and journey will be quite different. It is important to meet someone where they are and accept how they are feeling and reacting to the situation. It’s all about very good listening skills and demonstrating empathy.”

Emma noted that she has found it difficult to cope when supporting people through difficult times, as it can be “heavy and often intense”. Because of this, there’s a great importance in restoration. And to support her own wellbeing, Emma often turns to poetry writing. As she put it, “Intense emotion often sparks creativity and writing gives me an outlet when I have been bearing witness to people’s innermost suffering.”

When writing, Emma is inspired by nature and her experiences. She strongly believes that creativity can help people process difficult emotions. She said, “Sometimes people find art is a good outlet, or they might use music. They might find it helpful to write a letter to a person who is not there. Some people write to a person who has died every day and they can find it very soothing and comforting. It can be a way of continuing a bond and maintaining a relationship after loss.”

In short, “There are lots of ways creativity can help us look after our wellbeing.” As well as writing poetry, Emma also sketches, and feels that “it isn’t about how good [the artwork] is to look at, it’s about how the process restores and helps me”. Find out more about a potential franchise investment with Full Circle Funerals via the company’s profile page, which you’ll discover linked above.