Fishing Without Bait 516: Joanna Lowe on Grief, Art, and Learning to Live Again

About this Episode

In Part 3 of our continuing conversation, Jim Ellermeyer welcomes back returning guest Joanna Lowe for an unfiltered discussion about grief, anger, trauma, survival, and the complicated reality of healing after profound loss.

Joanna opens up about the experience of widowhood, the emotional isolation of grief, and the well-meaning things people say that often miss the mark. She discusses the importance of allowing yourself to fully feel emotions instead of hiding them, how friends and family supported her during suicidal ideation, and the ways grief reshaped her relationship with her daughter.

The conversation also explores:

How to support someone who is grieving without smothering them
Why “How are you?” can feel impossible to answer
Anger toward God, loved ones, and life itself
Trauma, emotional honesty, and parenting through grief
The balance between needing solitude and needing connection
Why every person experiences grief differently

Joanna also discusses her one-woman show Widow, which she is bringing to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and how storytelling can help teach people how to truly love and support those who are grieving.

Joanna’s work:

The Occasional Epiphany by Joanna Lowe
Cup A Joe Productions Facebook

Subscribe to Fishing Without Bait on your favorite podcast player.

Support us on Patreon for ad-free episodes:
Fishing Without Bait Patreon www.patreon.com/fishingwithoutbait

Pick up our book:
Learn to Fish Without Bait: A 365-Day Mindfulness Journal and Adult Coloring Book