Healing Through Art: Alina’s Light and the Power of Creative Expression
In the story of life, certain chapters bring profound heartbreak yet unveil the resilience within us. Alina Sheykhet’s story is one of those chapters, shedding light on the harsh reality of domestic violence. However, from the unimaginable pain emerged something hopeful and beautiful, just like Alina herself: Alina’s Light. This journey of art, advocacy, and healing was inspired by Alina’s vibrant spirit, a true force for positive change.
Alina Sheykhet, a 20 year-old bright young woman and a pre-med student at the University of Pittsburgh, turned to the courts for Protection from Abuse (PFA) from her ex-boyfriend after he broke into her house. Unfortunately, the system fell short, unable to provide the assistance she desperately needed and Alina was brutally murdered by her ex just days later.
Sasha Phillips
Sasha Phillips, a lawyer from Pittsburgh, was assigned to Alina Sheykhet’s PFA case and represented her pro bono. Sasha recalls, “I met this beautiful, bright girl Alina Sheykhet in court – I was an attorney assigned to her Protection From Abuse case against her boyfriend… Three days later, her boyfriend killed her in the most horrific way imaginable.” Sasha, a compassionate mother herself, struggled with the heartbreaking ‘what if’ scenarios.
In an effort to find solace, Sasha decided to paint a portrait of Alina, a therapeutic process that gradually allowed her to cope with the anxiety and grief. The resulting painting, “Alina’s Light,” became a symbol of remembrance and healing. Sasha shares her experience, “I just couldn’t come to terms with this horrible incident and with all the ‘what ifs.’ And then odd things started happening… everything was pushing me towards picking up a brush and expressing what I was feeling instead of keeping it inside.”
Alina’s Light, the Painting
“Alina’s Light” has traveled to various art exhibits, participating in events worldwide. Sasha is now dedicated to promoting art wellness as a stress-relief and resilience tool, collaborating with attorneys, judges, artists, and psychologists on exhibits and events in courthouses, law schools and major law firms.
Art therapy, as demonstrated by Sasha’s journey, serves as a powerful tool for healing during times of grief, duress and crisis. It allows individuals to express crippling emotions associated with the grieving process. Numerous studies indicate that art-making and art-viewing has a substantial positive impact on improving mental health, coping with stress and fostering interpersonal relationships.
“Alina’s Light” is not the only example of healing art that Alina inspired – Alina’s Dolls is a unique art project designed to serve as a memorial to the victims of domestic violence and as a healing outlet for their family members.
The Power of Creative Expression
Similarly to creating a portrait of Alina from a photograph provided much needed healing for Sasha, others find the power of healing in art. For many, it’s all about expressing the overwhelming feelings that accompany the grieving process.
Because each person grieves differently, art is just another tool that may help to cope during this difficult time. If you’d like to explore art as a therapeutic tool to cope with grief, you may consider doing something that you’ve enjoyed in the past. It could be drawing, painting, photographing, scrapbooking, sculpting, writing, decorating or sowing something special, playing music and dancing.
Studies of Art Therapy
Although studies about how art helps with grief are limited, research shows that healing with art is especially beneficial for children who are experiencing loss. Literature from various studies show improvement in people’s mental health, and improvement in interpersonal relationships.
Conclusion
In conclusion, for many of us, grief isn’t something we always have the power or resources to manage, but art, companionship and mindfulness can help. Remember, that the end result might not be as important as the process itself so don’t be afraid to just create through the complex feelings you may have following a traumatic event!