I n 2006, author Lynette Wells lost her husband of twenty years and her mother in a span of six weeks. She was overcome with grief and couldn’t understand her intense unfamiliar emotions. In Moon Shadows, Flowers, and Butterflies, she tells how a creative process helped her make sense of her situation. She shares her story of how she journeyed through her grief, including the images and stories inspired and revealed to her through the beauty and strength of nature.

Wells narrates how she could not find the words to express the intense emotion she carried every waking moment, and then she decided to try painting, one of her favorite pastimes. She randomly chose colors and watched them flow effortlessly across the canvas, shapes turning into images to give her a visual view of the emotion felt at that moment. Once the picture evolved, words were revealed, and she slowly began to understand what seemed like a tangled knot buried deep within.

Moon Shadows, Flowers, and Butterflies discusses how her sadness gradually transformed to moments of happiness as she reflected on memories and stories of loved ones. It offers hope that the creative process might guide others who are journeying on the grief path to find peace and happiness.