About Us &

projecting grief

Can grief be a catalyst for creativity? From comedy to collaging, Projecting Grief tells the stories of people finding comfort, distraction or hope in a creative pursuit after losing someone they love.

Projecting Grief is an online gallery exploring the relationship between loss, creativity and healing.

After losing her brother Jack in 2017, the last thing photographer Jo Ritchie wanted to do was pick up her camera. But as she started to search for others who had been through a similar experience, she was intrigued to meet many whose grief had been the catalyst for a creation.

Fascinated and uplifted by this discovery, Jo began actively searching for people using a creative practice for distraction, relief or an expression and asked to take their portraits. In 2019, she enlisted the help of writer Faye Dawson to interview sitters and write up their stories. Faye worked on the project for three years before deciding to take a step back from Projecting Grief in 2022. 

Laura McDonagh’s mum Anne died suddenly in 2019. Afterwards, Laura felt compelled to write about family, identity and home; to get things down before anything else could be lost. Laura was featured on Projecting Grief in 2020, before joining the team as an interviewer and writer. 

Grief + creativity story? Email projectinggrief@gmail.com

 You can see more of Jo’s photography at www.joritchiephoto.com

You can find Laura at www.heylauramc.com