STELLA

Stories and creative acts are celestial luminaries that abide at the twilight of life. They are glimmers of hope and moments of meaning that see us through the day and guide us into the night.

INTRODUCTION by the editor

STELLA is a space to record and share the stories and creative acts of persons nearing the end of life. It is an invitation to all who have found creativity nested in the struggles, fears, hopes, and reconciliations at life’s end—from those experiencing life-limiting conditions and terminal illnesses to those who love and care for them. Through words, pictures, poems, songs, movements, and gestures, we may find healing, build understanding, and share wisdom as we face the mysteries of mortality. Together our stories, creations, and actions will form an evolving sketch of life at the end of life.

Origins
The project STELLA emerged from my reflections on the passing of my grandmother, Estelle Catlett, last year and from my encounters with a number of difficult and inspiring end-of-life stories in my work with older adults and persons with dementia. These experiences have touched me deeply, and they have taught me about that stage of life which for a young person seems so distant and illusory. Because these stories made such an impression on me, I searched for a way to share them and to reach out to others whose stories of creativity at the end of life have been just as powerful. I turned to the blog as a medium for intimate and immediate public engagement that supports dialogue and multimedia content. It offers a way for us to share stories with each other and our communities in words, pictures, sounds, and motions.

Stories
This site is open to all who wish to share their stories of creativity at the end of life, and these stories may come in various expressive forms, including poems, essays, pictures, photographs, videos, and audio recordings. Perhaps you would like to show a work of art made by a loved one who turned to painting when illness made words no longer available to her. Or perhaps you are a healthcare professional who has witnessed the power of music to calm a patient’s suffering and wish to tell the story of that experience. Or perhaps you are now approaching the end of your own life and wish to express your thoughts and emotions by reciting a poem you have written. Perhaps your story is one of distress and pain; perhaps it is one of hope and healing; perhaps it is a story of all or none of these feelings. A variety of perspectives and modes of expression is welcome—and indeed essential. Please follow the link SEND A STORY on the left-hand sidebar to learn more about stories and how to submit them to STELLA.

Developments
Until our stories, creations, and actions come together, it is yet uncertain into what form STELLA will later develop, whether a video or a performance or a work of art or some combination thereof. What is certain, however, is that our stories, individually and collectively, will bear important messages for our peers and for posterity about living, learning, and growing at life’s ending.