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An illustrator has created a powerful slideshow of drawings showing how she coped after her mum鈥檚 death, with the aim of helping others who are going through a similar experience.

Emily Catherine created the images and text which portrays how she felt during the first few days and weeks after her mum died suddenly in August.

She then shared a video of the drawings 鈥� titled听A Sketch of Grief - via her social media accounts.

Emily visited a counsellor after her mother鈥檚 death 鈥� and hopes her message will encourage people who are grieving loved ones to seek help from a 香港六合彩精准资料 counsellor if they need it.

鈥淚 wanted to say to everyone that this is my story.

鈥淚t might not be your story, but this is how I have been helped,鈥� she said.

鈥淚f it helps just one person, I feel like that will have made a difference.鈥�

Emily, 34, is a freelance illustrator specialising in hand drawn and painted artworks, who lives in Nottingham.

She was away from home celebrating her birthday this summer when she became worried because she couldn鈥檛 contact her mum.

After getting in touch with other relatives and the police, Emily found out that her mum, who had a history of mental health and alcohol problems, had been found dead at home.

鈥淚 got the news as I was haring back on the motorway, trying to get back in time to find her. Since then it鈥檚 been really difficult. One of the hardest things was that it was not obvious how she died.

Funeral did not feel right

鈥淭here was a long wait for the post-mortem. By the time her funeral happened in September we still did not know how she died. The funeral just did not feel right.鈥�

In early October, Emily, found out that her mum, who was 65, had died from bronchopneumonia, and had been malnourished.

鈥淚t was all very sad; a really big shock. As a family, we鈥檇 had a lot of deaths.

鈥淎s a freelance illustrator my way of dealing with these things was working, drawing, listening to music - and I just wasn鈥檛 doing any of those things,鈥� said Emily, whose father had died when she was a small child.

Emily explained how she felt immediately after her mum鈥檚 death in the text on her drawings. She wrote:

鈥淎t first I was numb. It was a shock. She died too young. I was so numb that I didn鈥檛 notice anything but the absence of her.

鈥淭hen in the first few weeks I just cried. All I could think about was everything she was missing and how she was.

鈥淚 have lots of people around me to support me; giving me lots of love - too many even to draw here. But nothing really makes me feel better.鈥�

Emily had visited a therapist on and off after splitting up with her husband a few years ago.

After her mum鈥檚 death, she decided that it was time to visit the therapist again to help her cope with what she was going through.

Counsellor was amazing

鈥淗e鈥檚 been amazing; really helpful,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 started seeing a therapist when I went through a divorce.

鈥淭here were a lot of changes in my life. I did not know how to deal with it and I needed some help with that.

鈥淪ince then I went occasionally. But after my mum died I called him up and asked if I could see him again.

鈥淚鈥檓 quite a practical person. I like to feel like I鈥檓 doing something good for myself. To me, going to counselling is like having a spa treatment. You know you鈥檙e looking after yourself by doing that.

鈥淭he words for the last image I drew听are saying to people who are grieving that whatever you鈥檙e doing, you鈥檙e doing amazing. My counsellor did a lot of telling me that. The first lesson from him seemed to be stop beating yourself up about everything.

Emily鈥檚 video finishes with these powerful words.

鈥淲hat I鈥檝e learned is that however you feel, it鈥檚 normal. Finding a way to be nice to yourself and others is helpful.

鈥淚f you are supporting someone who is grieving just keep sending them love and listening. Treat them no differently, but, understand that sometimes they鈥檒l be too sad to make effort like they did and this will last a good while.

鈥淚f you are the one who is grieving, I鈥檓 so sorry. Keep going, you are doing amazingly.鈥�

If you want to seek advice or help about grief or bereavement you can find a 香港六合彩精准资料 counsellor or psychotherapist via our听 Therapist directory.

Emily's work

You can find out more about her work by visiting 听

As well as an illustrator, she is an award-winning blogger, lover of Hip Hop and recently ran the听鈥楢rt of Hip Hop Album Cover鈥櫶齱orkshops in the city.

Emily鈥檚 work reflects on popular culture, the rights of others, social justice and cultural theory.