An honest and vulnerable space for those who seek to explore the depths of beauty and pain in life, and to feel inspired and challenged in equal measure, from a visual artist who found solace in writing after suicide loss.

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Dec 10, 2024

Wrapping Up 2024

Snippets of stories, missing my home country, and more It feels like winter already. The trees outside my window stand naked and damp. Almost like a scene from a black-and-white picture. The tint always gray as the clouds darken the...

Nov 20, 2024

Navigating Early Grief

What to expect and how to survive after unimaginable tragedy “Early grief is largely this -- crashing again and again into a reality that can’t be real.⁣” - Megan Devine Early grief is a state of complete shock. It’s the...

Oct 28, 2024

Permission to Crumble in Loving Company: How to Support a Grieving Friend

Understanding what to say to and how to behave around someone in grief Always Make That Phone Call It can be tricky to know what to say to a grieving friend or even how to behave around them. I really...

Oct 14, 2024

Be the Friend Who Stays After Everyone Else Has Left: How to Support a Grieving Friend

The importance of providing long-term support for someone in grief The house was busy those days. Friends would stop by every day since my partner Alex took his life right before the city had a chance to transition into summer....

Sep 30, 2024

It Could Be Anyone: Suicide Discriminates No One

September marks Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month In September 2022, I had my first session with a Suicide Grief Support Group organized by the Crisis Centre of BC in Vancouver, Canada. The year before, on June 3rd, I had lost...

Man sitting on the edge of a cliff above the city

Sep 24, 2024

I'd Rather Go It Alone: The Stigma Around Suicide

September marks Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month “Once you tell people, everything changes. You can’t just say it,” my partner Alex warned me when I asked him why he wouldn’t let people know about his struggles with suicidal ideation and...

Sunlight filters and illuminates a woman who looks sad

Sep 17, 2024

To Those Left Behind After Suicide Loss

September marks Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month “It was not your fault,” people are always quick to say when they learn that my partner Alex died by suicide. It’s a kind thing to say, but it feels more like an...

Man standing on agriculture field in the morning fog

Sep 10, 2024

Nothing Matters Anymore: A Reflection on the Suicidal Mind

September marks Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month I often hear people say suicide is a selfish, irresponsible choice. After all, it wrecks the lives of those who are left behind. Interestingly enough, the people who have shared this thinking with...

Alex wearing Ciele running cap backwards

Sep 01, 2024

Conversations With the Ones We Have Loved and Lost

Letter #1 - July 31st, 2024 Hi Alex, Today I woke up thinking of you. We haven’t talked in a while. I’m turning 40 in September. Birthdays continue to feel weird since you died. Next year, I’m going to catch...

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Between Beauty and Pain

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