Ep. 23. Letters to Forever: Transforming Grief into Art with Natalia Millman

This week’s conversation is with Natalia Millman—a Ukrainian-born, UK-based artist—whose exhibition Letters to Forever transforms grief into a deeply immersive, multisensory experience.

After losing her father in 2019, Natalia found herself unable to return to her former art practice. Instead, grief redefined her identity as both a person and an artist. In this moving conversation, Natalia opens up about how her father's death sparked a creative metamorphosis—and how the need to do something with grief gave rise to a global project of shared mourning.

Together, we explore:
💌 The origin and emotional power of Letters to Forever
🌀 Why unspoken grief needs a physical space
🌊 The role of sound, scent, and embroidery in expressing loss
🎨 How creativity can bypass language when words are not enough
🌍 Cultural grief, diaspora identity, and the war in Ukraine

Natalia also shares powerful reflections on co-creating parts of the exhibition with her mother, a fellow mourner, and why art has become their shared language of remembrance.

If you’ve ever struggled to talk about your grief or wished for a space to simply feel it—this conversation will speak to your heart.

🖼 About the Exhibition: Letters to Forever

🗓 Dates: 6–28 August 2025
📍 Location: St Peter’s Church, St Albans, Hertfordshire (30 mins by train from London via Thameslink)
🌐 www.nataliamillmanart.com

Letters to Forever is not just an exhibition—it’s an act of communal healing. Visitors will encounter grief letters from around the world, transformed into visual and sensory artworks. The exhibition features a walk-in cube installation made of letters and drawings, sound healing stations, grief meditations, interactive creative areas, and live performances.

🎤 Opening Night:

7 August, 6:30pm

Live music, drinks, performance readings, and an informal welcome

🎭 Closing Performance:

28 August, time TBA

Collaborative sound and video piece featuring Natalia’s live letter readings, created with another artist in memory of their respective parents

🧘 Workshops (advance booking required):

Grief Yoga

Mindful Play: Building a Grief Container

Breathwork & Journaling Circle

Grief Support for Carers of People with Dementia

Creative Grief Workshop for the Ukrainian Community

All proceeds donated to Cruse Bereavement Support. Spaces limited.

Resources:

take part in The Grief MOT - your first-aid course for griefDon't forget to subscribe to A Guide to After Life podcast list to be notified of more conversations about navigating grief: Book a free 15-consultation with me to discuss the results of your Grief MOTFind out about Grief Group Therapy that I offerUnsure whether to see a psychologist, psychotherapist or counsellor or grief coach for grief support? Read this blog post to find out more.

Guest’s Bio:
I'm Natalia Millman, a multidisciplinary artist born in Ukraine and based in the UK for 24 years. After my father's death in 2019, I turned to art as a way to process grief. My latest project, Letters to Forever, invites the public to write letters to their lost loved ones, which I transform into drawings, installations, and performances. It is a tribute to love, loss, and what still connects us.

Connect with Natalia:
🌐 www.nataliamillmanart.com
📸 Instagram: @nataliamillmanart

Ep. 23. Letters to Forever: Transforming Grief into Art with Natalia Millman

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