What is a Legacy Project?
Art and storytelling can play a significant role in supporting and comforting individuals at the end-of-life. As we approach the end of our lives, we often experience a sense of reflection and introspection, looking back on our lived experiences.
During end-of-life discussions, you may consider the idea of a legacy project. Legacy projects are a way for you to create a meaningful and lasting contribution to the world in various forms,
Memory Books: A book or journal that captures important stories, memories, and life lessons to pass down to future generations.
Audio or Video Recordings: Record audio or video interviews where individuals can share their life experiences, values, and wisdom to leave a lasting legacy for loved ones.
Legacy Letters: Writing heartfelt letters or messages to be delivered to specific individuals or read aloud after one's passing, expressing love, forgiveness, gratitude, or sharing personal reflections and life lessons.
Community Projects: Collaborating in community-based projects that aim to honor and remember loved ones, such as organizing memorial events, establishing charitable foundations, or contributing to causes meaningful to the individual.
These examples represent just a few possibilities, as the scope of legacy projects with a death doula can be highly personalized based on an individual's interests, values, and desires for leaving a meaningful legacy.
Legacy projects are not just about leaving a physical or tangible item behind, but can also involve transmitting your values, beliefs, and stories to future generations. By creating a legacy project, we can help you find meaning and purpose during your end-of-life journey.
Our services for legacy projects may include:
Identifying your values and goals for the project
Offering creative and practical support to bring your vision to life
Providing a safe and supportive space for you to explore your feelings and fears
Coordinating logistics such as funding, legal issues, or finding collaborators
Ensuring the project is completed and shared with the intended audience
Through legacy projects, we hope to help you leave behind a sense of honor for your life and find peace during your end-of-life journey.
Our Own Legacy Project
The Family Collective Gallery is an ongoing art installation that explores the idea of generational craft and how memories, stories, and experiences can be held and passed down in the body. Inspired by my father, who was a painter and heavily influenced my own journey as an artist, this project is both an honoring of his legacy and a tribute to the gifts he passed on to me.
The installation is centered around a painting my father created using tea bags that he collected while he was dating my mother. The tea was incorporated into the painting as a way of sharing the significance of their time together. Drawing inspiration from this work and as a textile-based artist, I created a jacket made entirely of tea bags. This piece serves as a reminder of the fragility of memory and how we can preserve those stories.
The installation is set within the bare frame of a home, and features works from my father, grandmother, and myself. Through this project, I aim to highlight the importance of artistic lineage and how the influence of previous generations can shape the work of contemporary artists.
You can learn more about this on-going studio practice at
