Becky Gibbs' shared experience and illustrations

Hi I’m Rebecca (Becky) a twenty something Artist/ Actor living in London. 2 years ago my amazing Mum, Julie, took her own life after a long battle with depression. Although I knew how real and impending her illness was, I never, ever thought it would come to this. No one in this position ever could. 

The first year of grief was totally debilitating for me, I felt so stuck and overwhelmed by what had happened and I struggled to pick up a pen to write my name, let alone draw again. When the lockdown happened and I had more time to sit with everything I started to slowly pick up my paints again. 

Since then painting and drawing have been such a life line for me to unpack and find a form for something that is so intangible. It has helped me to not only process and claim a power over my experiences, but also acts as a way to express all the love I still have, and always will, for my Mum.

After a while (and a bit of convincing from friends) I decided to start sharing my work. Finding and connecting to others in similar positions has been so crucial to my grief journey. I thought if my Art can give back in some small way and help or resonate with even one person, it would be worth sharing. I will never ‘get over’ the tragic loss of my Mum, but I’m so grateful I’ve found a medium to move through my grief, promote better mental health and most importantly connect to others. We must remind ourselves always, we are not alone.

Written by Becky Gibbs (@gibbs_ink).