Lake Superior at Thomsonite Lodge in Minnesota

This image was taken during “The Gales of November”, (11/10/22) during a nor’easter on Lake Superior. A nor’easter is a storm of great magnitude and has claimed many ships, their cargo and the lives of the crews. This date on the calendar is significant to all who know the story behind the famous song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot.

On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, one of the many large ore ships that sailed the ocean-like waters of Lake Superior, sank during a ferocious storm. The entire crew of 29 people died when the vessel sank. No bodies were ever recovered from the wreckage. You haven’t seen Lake Superior until you’ve seen what the gales do to the lake. During the Gales of November, waves can get to, or even exceed, 30 feet high!

As a (former) fresh-water diver and professional photographer, I have two reasons to revisit Lake Superior on November 10^th each year. One is to ‘remember’ those lives lost, to say a prayer for the families that lost loved ones on that terrible day in 1975. I’ve seen many of the shipwrecks in Lake Superior from beneath its icy-cold waters. It’s a sobering experience.

My other reason to visit Lake Superior during that stormy season is to capture the beauty and ferocity of the lake, in its powerful presence during a storm. The location I was at in 2022 was at the northern part of the lake just a few miles south of Grand Marais, MN. The waves were mild, never getting higher than 3 or 4 feet.

However, further south near the Split Rock Lighthouse and Shovel Point, folks experienced the full fury of the storm with waves 30 feet high and when crashed into the ancient basalt rocky cliffs, the spray carried well over 60 feet high and far into the forest that tops those cliffs.

I missed that event due to icy roads between there and the Thomsonite Inn. So, we stayed close to the cabin we rented, photographing here and there, looking for anything of interest. Linda stayed fixed on closeups and macro images while I was searching for larger, more dramatic scenes.

While capturing this image I was transported to a timeless place in my heart and mind, thinking of the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald certainly, but also of my own dear son, Adam. Adam died August 4, 1997, on a perfect weather day while doing what he most loved to do – fly airplanes. In fact, Adam was a flight instructor of the highest caliber. I know that because he was not only my son, but he was also MY flight instructor.

Coming upon this scene of the bench facing the now calmer waters of the lake and a hint of the sun struggling to break through those angry clouds, I found myself remembering my personal journey of grief after the loss of my son over a quarter century ago. And as I wrote in my book, From Mayhem to Miracles, in the chapter My Grief – The Villain, he appeared to me again like so many years later to again taunt me, challenge my faith, and accuse me, to bring on fear and doubt… “unannounced, like a Thief… relentless.”

I’m much stronger today than I was over 25 years ago, where The Villain “…was relentless and untiring in his pursuit of my sanity and peace… to wage war within me.”

And as I looked at the scene and began composing it in my mind’s eye, he started to attack me again even after all this time using the very elements of the scene. Every time I noticed something interesting or even beautiful in the composition, he would rant on about it being ugly or frightening or worthless. But it didn’t work!

I’m much stronger today and I composed this scene with a heart of gratitude for being here at such a time as this, where the Sunbathed its softer version of itself onto the lake that had nearly spent energy and now had become gentle and kinder. I noticed that someone had thought of me (and others as well) and placed a most comfortable bench for me to sit and view the lake and to ponder.

After I captured this image, I sat for a while on that bench, just listening to the muffled drumbeat of the waves, catching the sweet scent of pine trees on the wind and looking up to witness the peace in the storm as it slowly made its way southward.

This image is likely one of my favorites simply because of the deeper meaning behind the photograph. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Occasionally, I’ll post interesting information about a particular photo I captured.  This image is of the Shoreview Towers in Minnesota, with a full moon.

Do you believe in the Law of Attraction? I certainly do and the following story is a true account of that law coming alive in my art.

I captured this amazing image back in 2022, and here’s the true story behind it.  In fact, there’s a story within this story as well.

As a photographic artist I know the importance of planning, patience and perseverance, and sometimes a bit of luck or in my case an “ask”.  I had done my planning, waited for the perfect conditions and timing to produce for me one of my most meaningful, personally satisfying images I’ve captured to date.

I was on the east side of Lake Vadnais looking to the west toward the Shoreview Towers.  The full moon was making its way to the west horizon and I knew it would travel between the two towers.  This photo was about one year in the making.

During my setup, I positioned myself perfectly so that the moon would trek between the towers.  As I waited for the moon to make its way toward the towers, I thought to myself how appropriate it would be to have an airplane in the scene.  You see, my very first solo cross-country flight as a student pilot back in 1997 would take me over and between those two towers as I flew north to St. Cloud.

It was a particularly fond memory for me because after I had contacted the Anoka Airport for clearance my son, Adam (my flight instructor), announced “Great job dad!” as I flew over the two towers. (He was flying behind me and I didn’t know it.)

Well, back to the photo session…

As I looked at the scene I made a comment, out loud, that it would be “so awesome if there was an airplane in the scene (because of my history of flying over those towers).

No sooner than having made that statement a commercial aircraft appeared in the scene and flew perfectly above the towers, like I had done back in 1997.  I was so thrilled with the results I lost focus and didn’t get the moon between the towers.

I believe that planning, patience and perseverance are necessary elements in creating beautiful art, but when more is needed… well, all I can tell you is that I just “asked” and it happened just as I have said, and I believe it was truly the Law of Attraction, the Law of Faith at work.

Plan well… be patient… persevere… ask and receive!

You can find this image and many others in my online gallery:

Full Moon and Shoreview Towers Photograph by Mark Triplett – Pixels

What are the concepts of dance movement therapy?

Dance/movement therapy is based on the concept that the mind and body are interrelated and mutually influential: moving the body impacts how you feel emotionally and mentally, and vice versa. How we feel and think resides in the body and impacts how we move.

How effective is dance movement therapy?

DMT can help people with physical health by increasing strength, improving flexibility, decreasing muscle tension, and boosting coordination. It can also offer important mental health benefits including stress reduction and even symptom relief from conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Who benefits most from dance therapy?

Dance/Movement Therapy helps connect movement and emotion to boost physical and mental health. People don’t need a background or special abilities in dance to benefit from Dance/Movement Therapy. Dance/Movement Therapy may be beneficial for treating depression, eating disorders, ADHD, and more.

What is Dance/Movement Therapy? (memberclicks.net)

Dance Therapy: Definition, Techniques, and Efficacy (verywellmind.com)

Dance Therapy: What It Is, Benefits, Conditions Treated (businessinsider.com)

Is Forest Therapy legit?

Forest therapy appears to have measurable health benefits; for example, it can lower levels of salivary cortisol, the hormone that rises when we’re under stress. One Japanese study showed that gazing at forest scenery for as little as 20 minutes reduced salivary cortisol levels by 13.4 percent.

What happens to our bodies when we go forest bathing?

Using the Profile of Mood States test, researchers found that forest bathing trips significantly decreased the scores for anxiety, depression, anger, confusion and fatigue. And because stress inhibits the immune system, the stress-reduction benefits of forests are further magnified.

What happens on a Forest Therapy Walk?

Forest therapy, sometimes called forest bathing, is a slow and mindful way of walking that almost forces us (in a good way) to engage the senses and allows for reflection.

What are the exercises for forest therapy?

Activities include walking, meditating, sitting in silence, and mindful observing of nature. This approach is based on the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or Forest Bathing, though we acknowledge that there is a long tradition of this type of experience in cultures throughout the world.

BENEFITS OF FOREST THERAPY

Improved mood    Increased energy level    Accelerated recovery from surgery/illness
Boosted creativity    Boosted immune system    Reduced blood pressure
Reduced stress    Increased ability to focus    Improved sleep

Can forest therapy enhance health and well-being? – Harvard Health

Forest Therapy Guides – The Conservation Foundation

What Is Forest Bathing? Potential Benefits (clevelandclinic.org)

Is Forest Therapy for Real? | Forest Bathing | Andrew Weil, M.D. (drweil.com)

HOME | wasatchforesttherapy

A while back, l felt quite sad about Adam being gone from my life, even after 25 years. And I told God about it, not complaining or asking the “why?!?” questions. I just let God know how much I miss my son. His response was a beautiful and gentle reminder of where Adam is today.

You see, Adam was a pilot of airplanes. It’s all he ever wanted to accomplish in life, well, mastering the trumpet, which he did (both) by the age of 17.

He made me proud! Of his accomplishments, for sure. But it was his character and his faith in Jesus that crowned my head. One of his favorite Christian hymns was “Beyond The Sunset.” It was my mom’s favorite, too.

I’ve sung that old hymn a thousand times, each time finding myself a bit closer to Heaven as I age.

Well, shortly after making my heart’s feelings known to God that day, He responded. And I captured it with my camera from the balcony of my apartment.

Adam… Flying his plane… Over the Cross… Toward the sunset and beyond… Three lights below

The three lights below represent Linda, Me, and Adam’s Sister Katrina.
We are to be the ‘light of the world,’ sharing our stories with others for hope and healing.

I am comforted by the scene, and I revisit this image on days of sad remembrance.

Here are the verses from that old hymn…

Beyond the Sunset

By Virgil and Branch Brock, 1936

Beyond the sunset, O blissful morning, when with our Saviour heav'n is begun.
Earth's toiling ended, O glorious dawning; beyond the sunset when day is done.

Beyond the sunset, no clouds will gather; no storms will threaten, no fears annoy;
O day of gladness, O day unending, beyond the sunset, eternal joy!

Beyond the sunset, a hand will guide me to God the Father, whom I adore;
His glorious presence, His words of welcome, will be my portion on that fair shore.

Beyond the sunset, O glad reunion with our dear loved ones who've gone before.
In that fair homeland we'll know no parting, beyond the sunset for evermore!

On Thanksgiving Day my favorite aunt passed from earth and ‘beyond the sunset’ to her eternal home in Heaven. I know she’s telling Adam all about us because she promised she would. I miss her, too.

Peace.

How Does Art Help with Grief and Loss?

Before I begin, may I say how sorry I am to know of your loss. I, too, have experienced the wrenching pain of the death of a child. My son Adam died in 1997 in an airplane accident when he experienced engine failure that resulted in the death of both him and his student.

My presentation today is about how I learned to cope with the many challenges I faced during my own personal grief journey over the past 26 years since his death. My deepest hope is that by sharing with you what I’ve learned along the way will be helpful, meaningful, and healing.

Ah, there’s that word: HEALING

Sometimes it just feels wrong to say that word when our hearts are so torn! We may find it difficult to think that anything could actually heal it. But when I say the word HEALING, I don’t mean that we should just forget our pain, and loss.

But healing in the context of my presentation today is meant to help us discover, with greater understanding and bolstered strength, how to cope with all that is in our grief journey. For me, it became Art Therapy.

My personal Art Therapy practices are creative writing, public speaking and singing, Gardening, and especially Photography. I’m not a therapist or specialist in grief. I speak only from what I’ve learned along the way in my personal grief journey over the past 26 years.

So, I ask you to take some examples of what I’m offering you today only as my personal experience, and not from a clinical mindset. Let me begin with a topic many may not have heard of before – Art Therapy.

According to Dr. Alejandra Vasquez, “…grief is the human response to loss that almost everyone will one day experience in their lifetimes… Some individuals may grieve without direction on how to release their feelings and emotions to help them cope with their profound pain and sorrow.” Dr. Vasquez is a specialist on the subject of Art Therapy and grief processing.

(There is a lot of information on this topic on the internet.)

So, How Can Art Therapy Help with the Grieving Process?
Expressive art therapy helps you express feelings and emotions that you sometimes can’t find the words for. Artistic expression to ease the pain of sorrow is expressed through what’s known as grief art. Allowing creativity to take over your grief enables you to process your pain and suffering in ways that you may not have examined before. Creating or practicing art in any form helps ground you and keeps you focused on the present.

The creative process gets you out of your head and into your body. The fluid motions associated with art help you slow down, lower your blood pressure, and regulate your heart rate. Art Therapy may help you connect to your deceased loved one by offering a way to memorialize them through your grief experience.

This artistic process is a way to create or engage in tangible artwork and activities that reminds you of your loved one. By creating a unique piece of art, you’ll always have a physical representation of that relationship to look at or hold on to when you need to feel closer to your loved one, even in the practice of performance art.

What Are Some of the Different Ways You Can Use Art to Process Grief?

There are many different ways to use art therapy to process grief, ranging from the written word to artistic expressions on canvas, or through song and interpretive dance, even sports.

Some standard examples of creative art are:

Interpretive dance

Music composition / performance

Painting

Pottery

Sports (like fishing, archery, tennis, golf…)

Gardening

Writing

Public performance like speaking or singing

For me personally, I landed on a few areas of artistic expression: Gardening, Cooking, Creative Writing, Photography, Teaching, and Vocal Performance whether in public speaking or singing.

Did you know that Art Therapy can actually help to regulate a person’s heartbeat, reduce stress, and ease depression.

Art acts as an anchor

Grief and the resulting feelings and emotions can make a person feel as if they’ve lost control of their feelings and their life in general. The ebbs and flows caused by the grieving process may seem overwhelming and challenging to keep under control.

Grief expressed through art keeps your emotions grounded when we’re feeling overwhelmed with loss. It can help us process our grief when we struggle to cope. Art helps to stabilize our emotions and acts as an anchor to our grief.

How Does Art Therapy Work for Us?

Art therapy allows us to open up to the opportunity to express our grief-related feelings and emotions. The creation of art helps with processing sensory and emotional experiences in hearts and minds.

According to Dr. Vasquez, these experiences align with the right side of the brain responsible for sensory and emotional reactions, which are expressed creatively much more readily than through cognitive means.

Through the art-making process used in art therapy, the process itself, not the art created, is more important. The creative process allows for pent-up emotions to release themselves onto a blank canvas, as sculpture, or in a song, a book, photography… this list is long.

The result is that both sides of the brain will better work together to help in the healing process. The griever can process their feelings and emotions and make meaning of their loss through the artful expression of their grief. That’s just good science, in my book.

Art therapy uses both the mind and body as an expression in promoting healing. Every time we engage in creating a painting, a song, or a written poem, we’re engaging mental processes that are physically engaging and that stimulate healing.

Healing Grief Through Artistic Expression

Well, so far we’ve learned that grief is a highly personal experience for everyone who’s touched by tragedy in their lives. There’s no one way to get through it, and each individual’s experience will be a bit different from the next.

And, over time, painful feelings and emotions will evolve, and adaptation to changed circumstances will follow. But, along with the proper support, counseling, and other tools, art therapy helps along the grieving process and may aid in offsetting some of the complications caused by grief itself.

I know that for me personally, if I had not expressed myself in my Gardening, Creative Writing, Vocal Performing and certainly in my Photography, I would not have “healed” in the same way.

You may have heard the phrase, “The calm BEFORE the storm”, but today I want to share a true story about discovering the calm AFTER the storm. This personal discovery helped me in my grief journey. And, oddly enough, I was intentionally seeking a storm – on Lake Superior, on the Minnesota side of the big lake.

As a very brief introduction to my story, I want to say that each year on November 10th, folks along the North Shore of Lake Superior, from Duluth to Grand Marais, commemorate the sinking of the large iron-ore ship, The Edmund Fitzgerald back on November 10, 1975. As a memorial tribute to the 29 sailors that lost their lives that day the legendary Split Rock Lighthouse provides a ‘memorial beacon lighting’ ceremony.

In 1976, singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot paid tribute to the 29 lives lost in the sinking of the ship with his song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

As a photographer and storyteller, I am drawn to the memorial lighting and to those raging storms that buffet the lakeshore during a time now called The Gales of November. Many photographers have captured the wonder and mystery of those storms on the big lake. And each year, my wife Linda and I trek up to the big lake in hopes of experiencing a big storm, to capture images of those rare and powerful waves crashing onto the Sawtooth Mountain Range that guards the shores of Minnesota.

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