Legacy Lights Workshop at Lynden Sculpture Garden
In February we conducted an experiential Focus Group of Elders to begin our Legacy Lights Initiative. Nine elders participated, 4 were older than 90 years; 2 participants were in their 80’s, and 3 were in their 70’s. One 93-year old participant brought his son, who was interested in being a future facilitator for this project. Another participant, who is deaf, brought a signer. Including the three facilitators from The Illumignossi Project, and two staff from Lynden, there was a total of 16 people that participated in legacy work and lamp creation.
Before crafting their legacy lamp, elders contemplated this question:
What do you hope this lamp will symbolize/represent when the person (or people) you are building it for looks at it? The participants were encouraged to answer to this question with a word or series of words, a phrase, a quote. It was a deep challenge – summarizing a rich, complex life in a few short words – but the participants rose to the challenge and attached their answers to the lamps by writing on a ribbon, notecard or torn paper that became part of the lamp’s unique beauty.
As facilitators we were honored and humbled to have been part of this workshop.
Qualitative – Verbal Quotes
When you become acutely aware of your mortality is when you should begin to consider the legacy of what you are leaving
This lamp is to remind my grandchild that my love is constant
The light reminds others of my presence beyond the physical
To remind my children that learning new things is always important – like making this lamp
This has helped me to harvest my memories.
Legacy is a passing on of knowledge, wisdom, riches you have stored in your mind and then presenting them.
The lamps are so unique. Aside from their obvious beauty, I am impressed by their high quality and professional design. It’s a lot more than a simple art project.
Qualitative – Written Quotes
This program has been a catalyst for guiding me to systematically and deeply think, reflect on my life, my story and what aspects, values and stories I want to pass on to the younger generation.
The facilitated process elicited comments and reflections that were open ended and effective.
The wonderful flow of two afternoons of creativity, discovery, and sharing has given me a clearer and bolder path, with new concepts and surprising artistic skills. Plumbing my own relationship to aging has extended my way of sharing a legacy of light…
The sharing and community were extraordinary.
Fun, good spirit, a nice balance of right brain, left brain.
Can’t imagine anyone doing it better, very high on feeling, sensitivity, imagination and eliciting of honest feedback and input.
There might be other forms of art as an expression of one’s legacy, but the lamp definitely works as a symbol for wisdom and light.
Fantastic – wonderful sharing with people we never met and appreciating their legacy.
My lamp is very symbolic for me.
The process is the thing – it was very meaningful. Listening to each other and sharing was valuable. The group lamp ceremony was very meaningful.
We learned so much from others and learned to appreciate yourself as a person, the love of our families to share, pass on, and bringing the “light” to our families. I hope to see this project extend to underprivileged families, senior citizens and people with disabilities such as myself being culturally deaf. Thank u for giving me the opportunity to participate this project.
This project gives seniors an opportunity to tell their story connected to what their value system is. It is especially valuable because seniors are making something which they can pass on that encompasses their personal legacy I find is always useful to let others hear the stories and understand where one is coming from. Seniors don’t always have a ready and willing audience for their thoughts and they deserve that for their many years of experience and insight.
