♡
”GRIEF IS A FORM OF WORSHIP - PRAISING THAT WHICH WE LOVE”
~ Alexandra Blakely
I’ve always created Nooks of Devotion - even long before I had a name for it. As a teenager, my bedroom was a shrine to friendship, experiences, colour - my walls plastered with photos, ticket stubs, random leaves, theatre programs…
These days, my Nooks Of Devotion are scattered throughout my life and home. Little pockets of meaning tucked into bookshelves, beside the kettle, by my bed, down the back of my garden. (Below you’ll find dozens of examples in the Inspiration Gallery.) I have a permanant Nook Of Devotion in the bookshelf right next to my desk. A daily place of reverence and remembrance, an altar for my grief - a place for my darlings.
What are Nooks Of Devotion?
Nooks of Devotion are small, intentional places where you honour your person, your story and your grief. It’s the name I use for what other people may call Grief Altars, or Storyplaces, or Shrines. It’s a way of pausing, remembering and gently caring for your person… and for yourself.
The intention is about creating and tending to sweet little spots where your love can gather and rest. Places where your heart can land. It’s simple, grounding and surprisingly powerful - a practice you can tend to in the days and weeks ahead at this tender time of year.
Let’s create a nook together — one that holds both your grief and your love.
How to Begin
Creating Nooks of Devotion doesn’t require anything elaborate - only intention, courage and the willingness to let your love take form in the world. Here are some gentle ways to begin:
1. Choose a Spot (or Many)
Start by noticing where a nook wants to be.
It might be a window ledge, a bedside table, a bookshelf, a kitchen cupboard. It might be a hidden corner of the garden, or amongst the roots of their favourite tree at their favourite park. Indoors or outdoors. Tucked away or in plain sight. There are no rules here - only what feels supportive for you.
2. Begin Simply
A Nook of Devotion often begins with just one item.
A photo.
A single flower.
A tealight.
Their favourite handkerchief.
A feather that crossed your path.
A beautiful stone.
Choose objects that speak to their essence - what they loved, how they lived, what reminds you of your connection. One small, meaningful thing is enough to begin.
3. Tending not Creating
These aren’t static altars; they breathe and evolve with you.
Over days or weeks, your Nooks of Devotion may slowly gather small additions - a fresh bloom, a new candle, a sudoku you finished in their honour. You may find things that hold meaning - a card they wrote you, something they gifted you - anything and everything that brings a sense of them and the love you shared.
Or perhaps you place a glass of bubbly there on New Years Eve.
Or sit with a cup of tea and read aloud.
Or play the traditional Christmas carols they adored.
Tending is the heart of this practice - letting your devotion move gently, organically without pressure or perfection. Nooks of Devotion are as much about responding as they are about creating. Make the time to listen.
4. Complete or Continue
You will know how long your Nooks of Devotion wants to exist.
Some become permanent companions in the rhythm of daily life. Others hold you for a season and then dissolve when it feels right. Trust your instinct.
This is your space, your practice, your way of honouring. Let it unfold in the shape and lifespan that feels nourishing for you & this festive season.
