The cartoons on this page are coordinated by Grief Matters’ Cartoonist-in-Residence, Susan MacLeod. Here is her story and creative process:

I came face-to-face with end-of-life experiences during my mother’s nine years in long term care. To help cope with my mother’s decline, as well as the sights, sounds, and smells in nursing homes, I drew. That came naturally to me. Through drawing, I saw the fullness of life in the presence of death. I became more compassionate and more self-compassionate, less avoidant, and less fearful.

Now, years later, I continue creating visual narratives (or cartoons) with Grief Matters in the hopes they can help ease us into the topics of grief and our own deaths, together with others and within ourselves. I enjoy finding evocative stories from people in any life circumstance that show an understanding and acceptance of life’s end.

I begin by interviewing people, writing a script, doing ‘roughs’ or ‘thumbnails’ of the visual story and honing it with input from the person interviewed and the Grief Matters’ team. It is my hope these visual stories help improve grief literacy in our communities. We are all grievers. To talk with and see one another in our loss is to walk beside one another in companionship and mutual support.

Follow Susan’s work on Instagram and at susanmacleod.ca

Please get in touch if you have ideas for future cartoons, or you are interested in contributing to our cartoon page.