Grief Through the Creative Process

At the end of 2024, a good friend and colleague of mine passed away. Krissy Goodleaf was a major part of our Trauma Facilitator Team, High School Teacher and powerhouse of a woman. In the fog of processing my own grief and the grief of my community, her school and I collaborated to create an emergent mosaic mural that honoured not only her legacy but the legacy of all those the school has lost.

This project ran from February-May 2025, with the final mural completed in July 2025. The image contains teachings from our culture about the transition between life, death and beyond.

All students and staff were invited to create a square panel that shared a lesson learned from Krissy that they felt was important to share with their school community. This moment was hard to walk through but what a beautiful testament to what Krissy meant to this community. ❤️

Now this mosaic acts an ongoing installation where at any time, the school community can contribute to as they need. A trauma-informed approach gives people space to grieve, adapt and grow so that they can continue the good work they are doing.