Introduction
Creative Grief Studio Co-Founder Kara Jones had a chance to talk with Jana DeCristofaro from the Dougy Center on their podcast Grief Out Loud. In this broadcast, Kara and Jana talk about how things like curiosity and awareness around social justice issues are a part of Creative Grief Support outreach. Kara offered a few more details in her interview here, too, to share a bit about what it’s like doing podcasts. Enjoy!
Interview with Kara Jones, Studio Co-Founder
Q: Had you ever been a part of a podcast before this one?
Kara: Yes, I have been producing my own podcasts on different grief + creativity topics for a while, as well as having been a guest on a few other broadcasts. This wasn’t a new experience for me, but I can say that every new opportunity both excites and scares me. I just try to not let the anxiety get the best of me so that the actual conversation with the host is interesting with emphasis on the excitement part of things.
Q: How did you come to be a part of this episode?
Kara: You know, how I came to do this particular episode and topic with Jana is kind of interesting. The Dougy Center shared a post on Facebook talking about how grief is influenced by social justice issues, and I was so excited to see that because, up to that point, most grief oriented organizations were shying away from the topic. I enthusiastically shared their post forward with my own added comment. Jana saw that and got in touch with me. She asked if I might be willing to speak on the podcast a bit about how Creative Grief Practitioners and other helping professionals could tune into social justice as part of their lens in the work they do.
I have to say, it was lovely to get the invitation. Often in the past, precisely because grief oriented groups seemed to be crickets on social justice, I have felt sort of solo out there on our social media platforms sharing that type of lens. So it was wonderful to see the Dougy Center inviting this kind of conversation and exciting to be part of that.
Q: Any advice you might give other practitioners who might be thinking about being a guest on a podcast to talk about creative grief work?
Kara: Do it, do it, do it! I know it can seem overwhelming to contact podcast hosts or to think about being on a broadcast not knowing who will hear it nor where it will be shared. But do it anyway! If you have anxieties that rise in these situations, too, try letting yourself really focus on the host of the show. Try to frame it as an intimate conversation with this one person who is interested in what you have to say, interested in your heARTwork. Stay present in the conversation with the person in front of you!
The Podcast
Grief Out Loud podcast at the Dougy Center
Host, Jana DeCristofaro
Ep. 80: we can’t know everything – staying curious in grief (kara jones)
Kara Jones is a practitioner working with grieving people and professionals supporting those in grief. She is also a heART maker, exploring creativity as an avenue for expanding our definitions of grief, meaning, and self-care. We talk about Kara’s personal grief after the death of her son and how that experience opened the door to recognizing how access to care and support after a death is influenced and affected by so many factors including race, gender, class, geographic location, education level, and more. We discuss how important staying curious and aware are in working to acknowledge and address these inequities.