Note on Music: Some of the recordings were challenging to make, sorry if some sound a bit wobbly or not the best quality. I did my best where I was in my own journey with grief at the time when they were made. Jess x

First Breath

Poetry

Music

Emerging From The Shadows

Chapter Intro

Poetry

Music

Moving Forward

My Letter To Grief

Poetry

Music

A pause before the close

Poetry

Closing Your Space Between

Poetry

Music

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess.

The music and poetry shown here were inspired by the art collection “The Space Between - Embodied in Love & Loss”. A collection that explores the unseen emotions on our journey with grief.

In all the work of Embodied in Art, I hope to always share the creative reflections in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights.

Jess x

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Note on Music: Some of the recordings were challenging to make, sorry if some sound a bit wobbly or not the best quality. I did my best where I was in my own journey with grief at the time when they were made. Jess x

Leave Me Here

Poetry

Music

Guided Meditation: Your Safe Space

Pause Three.

Protect Your Light

Poetry

Music

You Are Brave

Poetry

Music

Peaceful Slumber

Poetry

Music

Pause Four.

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess.

The music and poetry shown here were inspired by the art collection “The Space Between - Embodied in Love & Loss”. A collection that explores the unseen emotions on our journey with grief.

In all the work of Embodied in Art, I hope to always share the creative reflections in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights.

Jess x

Share

Leave a comment

Note on Music: Some of the recordings were challenging to make, sorry if some sound a bit wobbly or not the best quality. I did my best where I was in my own journey with grief at the time when they were made. Jess x

The Opening of The Space Between

Poetry

Music

Chapter One. Hidden Heartbreak

Poetry

Music

Chapter Two. World on Fire

Poetry

Music

Chapter Three. The Fight Within

Poetry

Music. The Music for The Fight Within continues on from the piece World on Fire.

Pause One.

Chapter Four. Displaced in Time

Poetry

Music

Chapter Five. What Makes Sense

Poetry

Music

Pause Two.

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess.

The music and poetry shown here were inspired by the art collection “The Space Between - Embodied in Love & Loss”. A collection that explores the unseen emotions on our journey with grief.

In all the work of Embodied in Art, I hope to always share the creative reflections in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights.

Jess x

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Emerging From The Shadows

Moving Forwards

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess.

The music and poetry shown here were inspired by the art collection “The Space Between - Embodied in Love & Loss”. A collection that explores the unseen emotions on our journey with grief.

In all the work of Embodied in Art, I hope to always share the creative reflections in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights.

Jess x

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Share

The creative reflections offered in this section are lighter than the ones before, as they are here to help you move beyond the Space Between. …

Read more

World On Fire

The Fight Within

Displaced in Time

What Makes Sense

Leave Me Here

Protect Your Light

You Are Brave

Peaceful Slumber

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess.

The music and poetry shown here were inspired by the art collection “The Space Between - Embodied in Love & Loss”. A collection that explores the unseen emotions on our journey with grief.

In all the work of Embodied in Art, I hope to always share the creative reflections in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights.

Jess x

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This piece stands on it own. A distinct point between what was and what could be.

From here it is your choice how you wish to show up. You could stay trapped in the narratives of the past, or you could choose to move forward with all your parts.

With this choice, it is not to say that your grief will never leave, or that your loved one is out of reach. …

Read more

Read more

It’s easy to say, “with every ending, there is a new beginning.” But these paintings explore what that means in the aftermath of loss and within that aftermath, what it feels like to navigate acceptanc…

Read more

In these moments, there can be a strong urge to run. To rush forward and ignore what you are feeling r…

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Through grief and life’s many changes, it’s easy to feel unclear on your next steps. To feel unsure how to carry on. You may feel as though you just need to survive, or wish that time would pause just long enoug…

Read more

You might have heard this term before. It refers to the space in your upper chest where your heart rests.

But what happens to this space when you’ve experienced hurt or loss?

Subconsciously, w…

Read more

The collection explores how grief lives in the body. Through twelve paintings, each one captures a different emotion that can surface after loss. The ones we feel, the ones we hide, and the ones that shape us in ways we don’t always understand.

These pieces exist in the space between loss and the reconnection to the love that once was. Between the moment everything changes, and the moment we begin to integrate that change into who we are becoming.

Each emotional theme has a creative companion: a gentle, intuitive tool designed to support you in that space between. Colouring, movement, writing, breath, play, reflection. Each becomes a way to access what words alone cannot reach.

To receive each creative practice, subscribe or follow for the insights behind it, and guidance to support you as you move through your own in-between.

Have you ever noticed or felt the in-between?

That strange, suspended space where life feels uncertain, where you’re not who you were before, yet not quite who you are becoming. A limbo. A quiet shift within.

What if this idea applied to your emotions, too?

A period of healing.

A place where feelings move, soften, intensify, or reshape themselves inside you.

This series is a companion for that space: Your Space Between. It’s not meant to offer quick fixes or perfect answers. Instead, it is here to walk beside you as you navigate the emotions, sensations and thoughts that naturally arise after loss.

This series is rooted in love. What it means to lose it, to hold it and to slowly grow around the absence it leaves. As you move toward acceptance or integration, this is the place where you can explore everything that surfaces along the way.

Whatever appears for you is valid. Creativity can act as a bridge between the logical mind and the quieter, deeper parts of the unconscious. Both have space here.

Take your time. Let what wants to rise, rise.

Be patient and gentle as you enter your space between.

Before You Begin

Take a moment to write down what you are feeling right now. The truths you may not have said out loud, the things you’ve been carrying quietly.

You can use these prompts if you need them:

• Is there anything you feel sad about right now?

• Is there anything weighing you down?

• What thoughts keep returning?

• What emotions are present in your body or mind?

• What are you worried about?

• Are there things you wish you could change? What feels like it’s holding you back?

When you look at what you’ve written, gently ask yourself:

• How much of this is out of my control?

• How much of this is untrue, unkind, or unfair to myself?

• Would I speak to a friend the way I’m speaking to myself here?

Going forward, I invite you to treat yourself as you would someone you love. With kindness, honesty, and compassion. When we’re caught in cycles of sadness, worry, or anger, it’s easy to overlook what’s happening underneath. This series is here to help you understand what you feel, your thoughts and what you may need.

As you move through the reflections and creative tools, remember there is no right way to feel and no timeline you must follow. The space between is not a place to rush through. It is a place to witness yourself gently, with patience and trust.

Creative Tools | The Space Between

A Gentle Grounding: As you step forward, reflect and consider with love…

• What are you ready to leave here?

• What do you want to embody moving forward? How do you wish to feel?

• What small steps can support you as you move into the next part of your journey?

• What am I grateful for at this moment? What can I hold onto with gratitude as I step into this space?

A poem and music for this space

Read it slowly, listen to it closely.

• How does it make you feel?

• What do you hope to uncover or soften in this space?
  

  The Space Between

  Love lost and love found,

  a space emerges between lost and found

  A space to find inner peace,

  to soften and quiet the fight between

  A space that can’t be seen or touched,

  but creates time to resolve the disconnect between

  Time is not bound in this conflicting space,

  but moves at a pace that is patiently yours

The Music

The Words

​​As you journey through this space, remember: you don’t need to understand everything right now. Simply being here, being present and listening to what you feel in your body is enough.

Know that you are allowed to take your time. You are allowed to feel what you feel in this space. You are where you need to be.

Because one day, you will resolve the disconnect you feel, in this space between.

A Creative Series | The Power of Creativity

A NOTE ON THE CREATIVE SERIES AND THEIR PURPOSE

Art is often misunderstood as something decorative, a pretty picture, a finished painting, a polished poem. Whilst this is in part true, its true power lies far deeper, beyond the surface that we can see.

Creativity is a language and tool that bypasses our logical mind, reaching the quieter inner depths within. The parts of us that hold our memories, our pain, our intuition and unspoken truths.

It isn’t limited to art on a page. It can appear through movement, sound, breath, play, writing, sculpture, meditation, or simply allowing your body to guide you without judgment. Each form has its own way of loosening what’s held in the body and gives shape to the things we cannot yet articulate with words.

This is especially true for women. For generations, women’s intuition, the quiet, inner knowing that rises from the body rather than the mind, has been dismissed, doubted, or pushed aside. In many societies, the traits associated with the feminine, feeling, sensing, creating, expressing, moving with the rhythms of the body, were seen as less valuable than logic, speed and productivity.

But there was a time, when women trusted their internal landscape and it is now resurfacing. Intuition is now being seen as a guide and creativity is seen as a way to understand the world and navigate it. The connection between our bodies and knowing is wisdom and it should be trusted.

Whilst through time this connection has been dimmed, it has never been lost. Creativity is one of the most powerful ways to reconnect to that voice and the inner knowing inside you.

Whether through movement, drawing, breath, writing, or presence, creative expression helps us reconnect with parts of ourselves that we have been told to silence. The intuitive, emotional, cyclical and embodied feminine within us.

The creative series are invitations to remember that part of yourself. To reawaken what you may have silenced without realising. To reclaim your inner knowing and trust the voice that rises within. This is a space where the unconscious is allowed to speak, where feelings can move instead of stagnate and fester.

Creativity is not about producing something beautiful. It is about unlocking what is hidden. It is a bridge between the seen and unseen, a link between mind and feeling, between the person you were and the person you are becoming.

Here, creativity becomes a companion. A guide helping you reach deeper layers of you, to help you reconnect with your inner voice, truth and intuition.

In the next post, we’ll begin exploring the first emotion in the art series and an exercise designed to connect your inner world with what the body holds. Until then, take a breath, rest where you are, and allow your space between to unfold at its own pace.

The first post in the creative series are free to all subscribers. The full series and all creative reflections are only available to paid members.

Subscribe now

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess.

This creative series is inspired by the art collection “Love & Loss”. A collection turning women’s stories that are often silenced or misunderstood into creative narratives. I hope to always share this work in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights.

Jess x

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I created this story to bring meaning into a space that once left me broken, questioning reality, and reasons for life itself.

I call this The Space Between.

The Inspiration & Story

I started this work as a way to to explore grief and the emotions I carried in my body. At first, when I started painting, it felt strange and exposing, but as I continued it became one of the most empowering experiences of my life…

At 19, I lost my Dad to cancer. It became a turning point that split my life in two: before and after. But what I didn’t realise until nearly ten years later was that there was another life in-between. A space where I lived without really living.

A space between the before and after.

My Dad was the bravest person I knew. He fought through it all. Cured twice. But when it became terminal, we entered a long in-between. In total six years of hoping for a different ending.

No one prepares you for what comes next. The birthdays, the milestones and occasions, the quiet moments when you’d give anything for one more second. You’re thrown into a new terrain with no map to navigate it.

For me, the only thing that was offered was a grief model. Five stages that promise a tidy progression toward healing. But grief isn’t black and white; it’s an ocean of shifting colours. I tried to measure myself against those stages, thinking, it’s been months, I should be here now. Only to fall apart all over again.

Looking back, maybe I did move through those stages. But not in order, and never cleanly. Grief doesn’t disappear, you just learn to grow around it. Your heart learns to carry what it once couldn’t bear.

But with that strength comes armour. You can protect yourself so deeply that you forget how to feel. You call it survival, but it’s not really living.

For me, it came with one giant realisation. I had built a life that looked perfect from the outside, but inside, I felt hollow. I filled my days to avoid silence. I climbed the career ladder, told myself I was fine. Until one morning, walking up the steps to the office, I realised: I can’t do this anymore.

I realised I had a choice: continue this version of myself that hid from grief, or feel the grief, burn my life down and start again.

So I did. I left my job and my flat in London all in one day.

I decided to find meaning in what I had lost. To honour my dad, and to keep a promise; to return to art and the person I once was.

And you know what happened? Nothing fell apart. For everything I let go of, something new appeared. The shadows that once filled my life began to lift. I saw colour again.

I started to paint. Picking back up where I put down the brush at 16. What emerged was a portrait of what the past eight years had felt like. It became a portal, a way to journey through grief and love.

At first, I created it for me, a way to feel again. But then words began to arrive, and later, music. A year later stories for each painting followed.

I had opened a door into the space between - a heart space that demanded to be explored through art, poetry and music. It was only when I had completed and explored the depths of 12 ‘emotions of grief and love’, could I finish the original portrait.

After years of disconnection from my body, each painting helped me feel a little more at home in myself. They taught me softness and compassion, helped me break down my walls, rekindled my spark for art and passion to help people.

Now, here I am, writing the last story. Two years on from the very first version of the portrait, no longer afraid to share what brought me here. No longer afraid or feel guilty for facing forward towards living life fully and holding a heart that can carry both love and grief together.

The reason I decided to share all I’ve created in this space came from one friend. From showing her one of the paintings and poems, she cried and said, “This is what it feels like. This is what grief feels like when you can’t explain it.”

And that is what I have tried to do, to bring feeling and comfort into a space that feels vulnerable and alone. Where logic can’t be used to explain what you feel inside.

So here it is, the final piece of the puzzle.

The end of one story, and the quiet beginning of another.

Stepping beyond The Space Between

So what have I realised from sharing these pieces? The art, the words, the moments in-between?

That grief never truly leaves. It just softens, shifts, and changes shape. It becomes a companion that walks beside you, a reminder of what was and what still matters.

Sometimes it’s loud, shaking the ground beneath your feet. Other times, it’s gentle, smiling softly and offering love in unexpected ways. Really, it’s a beacon of light that will always guide your way.

When I began this work, I thought healing meant going back to who I was before. But now I know it means becoming someone who can hold both the love and loss in the same heart, with courage and without fear.

It is not about forgetting, but learning to carry the love with you in a new way. To no longer let it hold you back from life.

Maybe that is what moving forward or integration means, to no longer walk away, but to walk on. Hand in hand with everything that has shaped you. You are not closing a door to the past, you are opening one and bringing it all with you. You are not saying goodbye, but thank you.

So to the ones we’ve loved and lost, and to the parts of ourselves we’ve found along the way, this collection is for you.

It is a reminder that healing takes time, and it occurs at a pace and in a space that is entirely yours. And when you are ready, I hope you also realise that you can move forward, and bring forward all of you, every step of the way.

Love lost and love found,

a space emerges between lost and found

A space to find inner peace,

to soften and quiet the fight between

A space that can’t be seen or touched,

but creates time to resolve the disconnect between

Time is not bound in this conflicting space,

but moves at a pace that is patiently yours

One day,…

You gently find the lost love,

becoming connected again

You resolve the disconnect

in The Space Between

If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts - or your own experiences with grief and The Space Between. Feel free to comment or reply directly.

This is the last story of the collection - you can find creative practices to support each pieces themes in the following posts.

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess… and the first series in this project; an exploration of Love and Loss in The Space Between.

As you read these stories, it is important to know that all my work is inspired by my own experiences. I hope to always share this work in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights.

Jess x

Discover More

It’s taken time, it has felt like a lifetime that is sure. But now, you feel the pull towards something more.

You don’t yet know what it includes, only that it must be better than the past you’ve left behind. You’ve been stuck in the in-between long enough. Now, you call your future self forward to help you on your way.

A new life waits. One that offers peace, comfort, and calm. One that no longer leaves you feeling subdued, or in murky waters after a storm.

And so, you give thanks and gratitude to the version of you who helped find your way. She began broken, but she worked and worked, to find a new you that no longer feels torn in two.

She has emerged, reborn, and anew.

The darkness meets its might, merging with the beam of hope like a strike

The broken heart becomes mended, with all the pieces restored and rebuilt

It’s now one with the body, moving together with all parts of you

The true self takes back its power, merging with the past

No longer afraid, it’ll move with you always, guiding your way

No more searching, no more looking for answers

For you are one now, no longer torn in two

I move forward, with you

A new chapter begins

This piece was created to bring this story to a close. It is not the end of a chapter, but where a new one begins to grow.

What started off as a heart that didn’t know which way to turn, grew with love and kindness, shining brightly like the sun.

The body emerges out of the shadows of grief, guided by the energy that moves through each piece. As it steps forward, claiming the past, she stands tall and proud, no longer hidden behind a mask.

And as a heart mends with the past, it can confidently say, I am no longer afraid to show my emotions that once kept me hidden away.

As I close this piece, I reflect on what grief means and what I have learned through this journey before sharing the story that inspired it all…

Grief is an emotion that no one can truly define. It is unique to each of us and we all hold it near.

You can’t contain it in words that feel black and white, because it brings forward shades and colours you never knew existed, until grief opened your sight.

It carries heartache, a pain you never want to emerge. You hide it at times, fearing you’ll be left unheard. So, for a while, you sit in silence, questioning what occurred.

You look to all the occasions and moments that no longer bring you joy. You may withdraw or change your perspective, as your world turns blurry. But one thing becomes clear - you no longer have time for fakeness or shallow noise.

With time, you do move forward.

What once felt unbearable becomes something you can hold. Not because it is lighter - but because you have grown stronger, in every meaning of the word.

As life moves on, you look for signs that your loved one is still there. Guiding you, sending messages through the air.

It may arrive when you see a robin crossing your path, or a feather that falls at your feet. It is when you go to their resting place for answers you don’t know where else to seek.

It is hearing a song that once made you cry, now brings comfort and peace. It is for the moments and occasions that once made you sad, but now you hold onto them with love for those you treasure and keep.

It is realising that the love which once felt angry, sad and cold, has now found a new home in everything you hold.

It’s when you continue on and do what you love, knowing that they are with you every step of the way.

Because they are with you - every day.

If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts - or your own experiences with grief and The Space Between. Feel free to comment or reply directly.

This is the final part of the story, as you move forward through a new door. You now carry every part of you, every step of the way. What is next is unknown, and that is okay, but you can confidently say - this is me now and I am here to stay.

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess… and the first series in this project; an exploration of Love and Loss in The Space Between.

As you read these stories, it is important to know that all my work is inspired by my own experiences. I hope to always share this work in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights as this collection comes to life.

Jess x

Explore Embodied in Art by Jess

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It asks to be written differently, and take centre stage.

So as I write, and when this piece is finished, I hope it reaches people who may feel this way too.

When you feel in the dark and confused in life - as if you are only seen by the moon.

It’s not to say that you are only seen at nighttime, or that the stars are the only thing that guide your way.

It’s that you yourself may have felt hidden, tucked away.

But there comes a time, when you call on yourself for courage.

No one else can offer this hand - only you.

It’s a hand that offers comfort, compassion and guidance

as you step forward, into something new.

Yet you keep on pushing and pushing, it is damaging your view.

You remind yourself that it takes time to move forward, and you need to feel your grief.

Grief for those you lost, and the person you used to be.

As you do so, you realise, other things in life slowly start to fall away.

And that is what happened, when I lost the one I loved - my whole world became twisted and felt like I was running in the rain.

But with time you start to see glimpses, glimpses of light.

And in these moments you hold onto them with all your might.

So you start to tell the thoughts and feelings that kept you small for years to go away.

Because you now feel ready to start living, and follow the callings that shout…

COME MY WAY.

Now it is the first time in years that you feel warmth.

Warmth to who you have been and who you presented for years.

The version that protected yourself from heartbreak and all the tears.

And whilst you may have felt angry for a while that the real you didn’t step forward sooner, you can now look back with kindness and love because they helped you survive those years.

As you begin to emerge and step forward, you realise that this time and space has meant something. It was a space between that gave you strength.

Not a stoic strength, or like the saying “you are so strong”.. But one that helped you to keep going and to start moving on.

I know now that the love I carry now is sacred, and it is one I will never give up.

Yes it is still broken, but I carry it bravely. It helps me navigate towards a life that feels true.

For in some ways I am lucky to have experienced it, not many do.

I will always hold it for the loved ones of the past and I will now add to it with love from those in the present and future too.

So with all my courage, I step beyond the shadows, the shadows that have kept me hidden from view.

I can confidently say I no longer want to hide, and I certainly don’t have the energy to wear a mask.

I bring together with love and kindness everything that I once thought held me back.

With hope and courage that I can find a new path and find my way back.

So to the person I love, I will carry you always, in everything I do.

I hope that I make you proud and I will always love you.

Everything is loud and busy fighting for activity, to make this way or that, the direction is not told

Round and round in circles I’ve gone, repeating the patterns that always took hold

I wanted to break free, and oh I tried. It feels safe in the known, so I avoided the pulling tide

Don’t know where to turn, but there is no where to hide, I cry with overwhelm and prey it passes me by

I will break free and change my way, no longer to sway in different directions, I am sure one day

I will sign heavily in relief when the choice is made

Soon all will unfold and this way or that will become forward, and I will take my first stride

And now I say my time is done, no more hiding behind the sun

I have found my light and thankfully I prey

To be free and have fun, and always follow

To see the beam of hope, to reveal and guide my way

For I am free now, and I hope to never betray

If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts - or your own experiences with grief and The Space Between. Feel free to comment or reply directly.

The next part of this story is the final piece and part of the story… moving forward.

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess… and the first series in this project; an exploration of Love and Loss in The Space Between.

As you read these stories, it is important to know that all my work is inspired by my own experiences. I hope to always share this work in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights as this collection comes to life.

Jess x

Explore Embodied in Art by Jess

Leave a comment

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You exhale and for a moment, you relax. Something within you shifts.

The tension, the pressure, the worries begin to clear.

It’s a full body yes.

You are moving forward, and the only way to describe it is that you can finally breathe again.

You’ve done it

You’ve moved forward

You can finally take a breath

You can breath in deeply and realise you are stepping out of the mess

Then you look around and realise there is still so much left to do

so you sigh and you take it all in

and tears begin to form with the hope that you can redo

you be breathe in, breathe in, deeper still

for you know now that whilst things are still bit messy

you can begin to find the real you

Shifting the Energy Within

Welcome to the start of a new chapter — a new moment, a new shift within this collection’s story. It’s been a journey from heartbreak to learning how to grow around grief.

But no one tells you what it feels like once you’ve learned to carry it —
when you finally break down the walls surrounding your heartbreak,
when you’ve felt every tear and emotion that comes with it.

Grief doesn’t end with acceptance or integration.

You carry it with you every day. You feel it always. And while you may wish for it to fade, deep down, you know you’d never want it replaced.

But what happens when you emerge from the shadows and the slumber that taught you how to rebuild — to heal, to simply sort yourself out?

You learn to breathe again.

You learn to turn your pain into love, and your fear into courage.

It takes immense strength to begin again, to meet yourself with compassion and kindness. And that is what this piece is about:

The brave act of embracing change, self-love, and compassion,
and meeting your inner light — the one that will guide you forward.

Your First Breath

As I write this piece, I can feel myself wanting to cry. Part of me has avoided writing her story. And I say her because this painting represents a part of me —the part that carried out some of my bravest acts after grief.

In life, after loss, some of the smallest things can feel the hardest.

It might begin with something seemingly simple — telling yourself that if you make your bed today, you’ve achieved something.

But over time, you build on each act:

you leave the house,
you meet a friend,
you gather the strength to go to an event and meet people on your own.

Then comes the day you realise you’re wearing a bright colour — and you feel it.
You realise you’re okay being seen.

It’s when you look at a sunset and feel all the colours, and no longer only feel the rain.

It’s when you stop questioning your choices,
and no longer ask for others’ opinions.

Each moment means something, and each time, it gets easier.

You learn to stand tall — to open your heart,
to sing, to rediscover your voice.

You learn to breathe, and begin again.

My slumber is over, yet my body continues to cry

Crying out for a rest, to take time and a breath

To breath deeply into my bones, healing what’s broken and alone

The anger, pain, hurt, all bitter and sour, now replaced with calm and gentle touch

Breath deeply and full, fill me with light, and I will seek my sight

The stuck emotions become free, moving from me, resolving the time gone

What was hidden behind no one will know for sure

Yet, a new start is beaconing to bring forward more

No more old ways, no more second place

Learn from the lessons, and take joy from mistakes

You are becoming reborn and anew

You’re breathing for a new life, one that is you

True to values, kind, compassionate and true

Love for all, and all is the way through

Returning Home

For me, I spent a year unravelling.
I stepped out of a life that was no longer mine to live.
I no longer recognised myself, the people, or the things around me — so I left.
I came home and decided to sort myself out — to quiet the mind and the busyness,
to learn how to hold the void of loss without needing to fill it.

And gradually, new things began to arrive. Things that had been lost over time, or forgotten when I hid my grief. Things that reminded me of that lost love — but now felt gentle, beautiful, and safe to hold.

With everything you let go, something new comes in. Things meant for you — the ones that will stay. It may start small, but once you can hold one new thing, you begin to grow.

If you look closely at the painting, you can see the new energy flowing from the hands, breathing life into your world. The paint swirls like water, as if the body itself is being reborn.

So whether you’ve achieved something small today, or something huge - you made the choice to engage again, to rediscover yourself, and create something new.

You let go of doubt and darkness, and began a new trajectory, one rooted in hope, and a desire to rebuild. It’s for all the moments you finally say:

I can be seen.
I don’t need to hide my dreams.
I don’t need to change to fit in.

It’s for all the times you were hard on yourself and wanted to give up, but chose to keep going — holding on to the hope that one day, you’d eventually become unstuck.

And now, with time, you feel it:
something within has shifted.
Something in you has changed.

It’s saying, “I’m not sure who I am right now — and that’s okay.”

So as you continue to emerge and find your way,
I hope you remember to be kind to yourself —
and let your light guide your way.

As you take your next breath, may you remember that healing isn’t a single moment - it’s a rhythm; a quiet unfolding that gradually builds. It’s not about beginning again as someone new, but remembering who you’ve always been beneath the weight of loss. So wherever you are in your journey, I hope you take one deep breath today and feel how far you’ve come.

If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts - or your own experiences with grief and The Space Between. Feel free to comment or reply directly.

The next part of this story explores emerging from the shadows, bringing in all the pieces that have helped you move forward towards you.

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess… and the first series in this project; an exploration of Love and Loss in The Space Between.

As you read these stories, it is important to know that all my work is inspired by my own experiences. I hope to always share this work in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights as this collection comes to life.

Jess x

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But as I began to embody the painting’s essence, something deeper emerged...

After grief, something shifts in how you see your world.

You start to question whether everything that fills your life still fits. One of the greatest awakenings is realising what is real and what is not — both around you and within.

With that realisation, change begins. And when the dust of transformation settles, a new space opens. One that invites you to rediscover yourself again.

Often this happens in the shadows, unseen by others. It can feel lonely, yes — but it’s a sacred kind of loneliness. Because it’s far better to be alone as your true self than to stay surrounded, yet misunderstood.

So this pause isn’t passive. No — it’s an active stillness.

A moment to gather your scattered pieces and put them back together, differently this time. Because now, you’ve learned from your lessons and you’ve grown from your mistakes. And you know when it is time to reawaken, you will have embraced all of you - ready to step forward.

Sleep peacefully and deep, for your body and soul has become weary

Tired I say, for the breath is shallow and short

and the heart feels heavy, still trapped in a cage designed to keep you safe

You are okay tho, the body cried

Just take it slowly and gently, moving calmly and still

For when you wake you’ll see differently,

you’ll learn to bring it together again,

merging with all parts of you

---

You’ve stepped onto a new path. Brave enough to leave behind what was old and where you once thought you had to go.

As you move forward, closing the door on a chapter you believed was yours, you realise you need to pause. To surrender. To find you.

Though the body appears to rest, it is patiently waiting. Holding space for you to retreat, to look back through old patterns, and uncover what is true.

The swirls forming over the head speak to this. Echoes of all the paintings and stories that came before.

Remember, those chapters weren’t wasted; they shielded your heart through grief. But now, it’s time to let them go, to stop letting them cloud your thoughts and view.

When the dust finally settles, you’re left with all the pieces that were hidden within. Now, you have time to place them back together in a space that feels peaceful and true.

The light begins to move in, flowing over the body, clearing what was old and gently calling you forward. It invites you to learn who you are now, to begin again from strength. To walk with compassion and purpose, and reclaim life anew.

You may not be the same, and life may look different. But when you’re ready, you’ll rise, steady and sure, embodying who you are now, carrying a heart restored.

It time now to reawaken says the heart, as the body wants more air

No more to the past, no more bitter taste. No more masks, nothing to be faked

Be you, and boldly express, step forward out of the mess

Clearing out all that has been told, no longer losing sight of the patterns that took hold

Breaking free of the cycles grip

letting go,

bit by bit

Bring peace with you now, merging the old with the new

For you’ll find what you’ve been looking for no longer in a dream

You are now living freely and the dream is now you

---

On surrendering the old to embrace the new

This piece, and all the paintings before it, have been part of my own rebuilding. I’ve had to let go of ideas about who I thought I was supposed to be, of timelines that no longer fit, and dreams that belonged to an older version of me.

It’s strange how loss and clarity can walk hand in hand. After years of resisting grief, trying to fill a void with things that were never meant for me — I finally understood: the void no longer wanted to be filled. The feelings wanted to be felt. It was asking to be emptied, so I could begin again from the real me.

I gave myself a year to surrender — to release who I was before, the life I walked away from, and everything that came with it: clothing, books, people, and ways of living that no longer felt true. Yes it was hard, but in letting it all fall away, I began to find a clearer version of myself underneath.

In many ways, this too has been a form of grief — surrendering to every part of myself, even the ones I once tried to outgrow or forget. Yet within that surrender came softness, space, and the quiet truth that rebuilding doesn’t always mean adding more.

Sometimes it means letting go, again and again, until what truly matters is all that remains.

So as I share Peaceful Slumber with you, I wonder:
What are you being called to release?
What old chapters are gently asking to be closed, so something new can begin?

If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts - or your own experiences with grief and The Space Between. Feel free to comment or reply directly.

The next part of this story explores the other side - when we take a first breath and step forward beyond the mess. I release a new piece every two weeks - so stay tuned x

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess… and the first series in this project; an exploration of Love and Loss in The Space Between.

As you read these stories, it is important to know that all my work is inspired by my own experiences. I hope to always share this work in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights as this collection comes to life.

Jess x

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Share

Over a year ago, I left my job and my life in London. It was terrifying — but, it was also right.

I still don’t know where the path leads or where it will end up, but the theme of this painting continues to guide me every day.

It celebrates the courage it takes to heal and move forward — to acknowledge past struggle, to face the barriers we build, and to find the strength required to step beyond them.

Bravery isn’t the absence of fear — it’s the choice to rise despite it.

You don’t need certainty to start — only enough courage to begin.

Stepping Beyond The Fear

In a moment of complete honesty — after months of breaking down the walls I had built (those walls shown in Protect Your Light) — I experienced a realisation.

After letting everything out, I felt empty.

I was left alone with the choices I had made — choices born from fear and a mind clouded by grief. But I realised that if I could process and honour that grief, letting those deep feelings surface, I could begin to do the same with how I treated myself — and how I truly wanted to show up in my life.

Sometimes the bravest thing we can offer ourselves is compassion.

And in that compassion, I finally admitted: I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t someone I recognised.

I had built a life of safety — one that allowed me to turn away from who I truly was, rather than face my grief and see what was right in front of me.

So, in a moment that felt like madness — almost two years ago now — I handed in my notice at my flat in London… and my job… all in one day.

That decision took years of quiet courage to build. But once I made it, my life changed.

Emerging from the Chaos

It’s taken time to move forward — to figure out who I am.

In many ways, it felt like I was coming out of chaos. You can see this in the painting. This one is the first to reveal the true shape of the body, yet it is still forming and reshaping.

But when I was confronted with that empty space, what emerged was a desire to rebuild — to uncover and feel emotions I had buried for so long.

So I turned toward my grief and began creating a collection exploring how love and loss are held in the body.

It started as a way to simply feel again. But in its creation, it called for more.
It forced me to confront all parts of my life. And now, as I come towards the end of its story, I feel as though I’ve burned down a life I once had — only to rebuild something new.

I was left questioning everything. But out of the chaos, something new began to emerge.

And that’s the next painting’s story…

The walls are broken, and have unravelled all the hate. That which was hated, was also fake. No true self was shown these past years, for fear of betrayal and hurt, or to lose more. So I decided to hide, behind a false door.

As we step forward, we bravely say… No more to the past that got in our way. We step forward into the light, recovering and picking back up the pieces that became lost in plain sight.

It feels tiring… to realise all that has happened.

Time is needed… to recover from our past patterns.

A Shared Story of Bravery

I’m sharing my personal story because this painting can only be understood through it. And while it reflects a specific moment of bravery that catalysed my creativity and the birth of this collection, bravery through grief is so much more than a single act.

It is how we move forward after loss —
in small, quiet moments, as much as in bold decisions.

Sometimes bravery is simply getting out of bed. Having the courage to meet a friend. To say, I’m not okay. Or to whisper — or even shout — today was beautiful, even while holding sorrow.

For years, I told myself: If I can make my bed today, I’ve achieved something. I’m okay. Now, almost ten years on, I still live by that rule.

This painting captures that feeling — not just in a single moment of honest bravery, but in the courage we carry every day.

Even though the heart remains protected in this piece, the body is facing forward — and that is enough for now.

Because you are still moving forward. Because You Are Brave.

If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts - or your own experiences with grief and The Space Between. Feel free to comment or reply directly.

The next part of this story explores a sacred pause - a pause that is not passive, but one that is patiently yours.

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess… and the first series in this project; an exploration of Love and Loss in The Space Between.

As you read these stories, it is important to know that all my work is inspired by my own experiences. I hope to always share this work in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights as this collection comes to life.

Jess x

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This piece was written alongside the painting “Protect Your Light”. Both are born from the quiet spaces between grief, change, and self-discovery. The words are not an explanation of the painting, but an extension of it—a way of giving voice to the emotions beneath the surface.

Don’t let fear hold you back.

You are keeping yourself shackled, with your hands tied behind your back.

The only way forward is to let light guide your way.

No matter how uncomfortable or scary,

you need to let what no longer serves you fall away.

When Grief Softens

The next six pieces in the story mark a shift. They move away from the pain of grief and loss and begin to lean towards compassion and love.

It’s easy to say, “with every ending, there is a new beginning.” But these paintings explore what that means in the aftermath of loss.

After loss, your reality shifts. It’s disorienting — even scary. Your grief doesn’t simply end - it isn’t absolute. Instead, you learn to grow around it.

That’s what starts to occur in this next chapter, how a new phase of life emerges as we grow around our grief. You start to accept your new reality, you stop resisting, you allow yourself to feel, and you begin to listen to what wants to rise up from inside.

And when you finally give voice to what you’ve been afraid to feel… that’s when space opens.

That’s when something new begins.

A Battle Between the Head and Heart

Protect Your Light reveals the story of guarding our hearts and true selves from the outside world—even when every part of us longs to let go and break down the walls.

Life can sometimes make us feel trapped—whether it’s the chaos of our emotions, under the weight of external pressures, or by the consequences of past choices that still hold us back.

Yet within us, there is always a spark, a force that refuses to be dimmed. It’s your desires, your dreams, your hopes and wishes. Everything that lives beneath the surface that makes you who you are.

Protect Your Light reflects the turmoil of decisions made from obligation and choices that once kept us safe. Where our head and thoughts have grown clouded with grief, confusion and conflict. Overwhelmed, the body folds in on itself - arms wrapped tightly around the knees, pulling us in close, protecting and guarding the heart.

But light begins to move across the arm, reaching toward the heart. Perhaps it is hope. Perhaps it is trust. A reminder that the heart is still there, longing to break free, to rise above the weight of control.

So you gradually trust what wants to rise up from within. You allow the walls that hid your truth to slowly fall away.

And then, something shifts inside.

I am shattered and broken, with all the pieces far gone. I do not know where they have been hidden and for how long. They yearn to return and emerge as me, but patience is required, to mend what is broken and bring together all to be free.

---

Turning Towards Your Heart

You’ve reached a turning point. The moment you step across the threshold and trust what lies beyond.

You don’t know what awaits, but you choose to trust your heart over your head. You search for clarity within.

Tears may fall. It may feel as if you are unraveling. But the busyness of the mind begins to rest, and the light leads the way.

Even though your hope may feel as if it is drifting into shadows, you know this is different to the darkness of before.

This is a place of surrender, a place that beckons you forward to more.

To step into trust. To gather all your pieces of yourself. To walk with compassion and purpose… and a desire to look below the surface, to find who you were before.

Whilst you may not be the same and life might look different now. It is far better to find out, than to keep hiding behind closed doors.

Strength and pride has always put up the fight, concealing a heart, that wishes for a new start.

These built up walls know they need to break, breaking the pattern that became hate.

Hating on the need to express, to show love, kindness, and the need to rest.

To feel the love that had broken away, and reclaim back, our true way.

The walls begin to collapse, no longer protecting the inner light.

The heart begins to pour, bravely moving through a newly found door.

I move with you now gently, as we start to soar.

If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts - or your own experiences with grief and The Space Between. Feel free to comment or reply directly.

The next part of this story explores the courage of moving forward onto a new path that is yours.

If you have found this page - Welcome to Embodied in Art by Jess… and the first series in this project; an exploration of Love and Loss in The Space Between.

As you read these stories, it is important to know that all my work is inspired by my own experiences. I hope to always share this work in a way that allows the themes to become relatable - connecting Art with Psychology, Creative Therapy and real life.

Here is bringing hope into the voids and shining light into the darkness.

Follow along for updates, reflections, and insights as this collection comes to life.

Jess x

Leave a comment

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