iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I'm not afraid of these emotions. So many people are longing to talk about their loss more — I hope you're finding places . 🌿And if you need another place, please send me a message about my course where you can design your own personalized grief ritual and connect with others who are grieving.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I'd been in non-religious spaces as well for a while, so I'd heard of celebrants being what we have for the important ceremonies like Celebration of Life events/Funerals instead of clergy. I slowly found myself feeling very drawn to this career path. I know how much a meaningful farewell matters.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

No one plans to become a grief expert, but in my twenties I found myself becoming one. I'd also seen the difference between funerals that truly honored someone and ones where you left thinking, "really? that's it?"

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

The losses that shaped me most were: witnessing my uncle's suicide at 23, losing the grandmother who helped raise me, a close friend and colleague being involved in a murder-suicide, then the death of my mother (from whom I'd been estranged). I had other losses too!

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Secular Funeral Celebrant | DC & Maryland | Grief Pictured By the time I'd turned 30, I'd been to eight funerals — and four of them were for people quite close to me in my life. This is my origin story: how my own grief led me to my career path. 🌿

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

I'm based in Maryland and primarily serve the greater Washington DC area, and can connect people anywhere with a celebrant who shares my training. (4 of 5)

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

By the time the day arrives I've spent multiple full work days immersed in this person's story. I can hold the room — so loved ones have space to just grieve. Attendees often can't believe I captured someone so well without ever having met them. 💜 (3 of 5)

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

A certified Life-Cycle Celebrant has extensive training in making these days meaningful and personalized. I work closely w/ families beforehand, learning who their person was, writing a eulogy that captures them, choosing readings, designing a ritual, building a whole ceremony around them. (2 of 5)

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

When someone you love dies, you might be tempted to let someone who knew them lead the ceremony. But if they've never done this before, there's a lot they'll miss — and on a day like that, the details matter more than people realize. (Thread: Post 1 of 5)

Empty chairs at a venue with yellow and white flowers on the ground and bright green grass. We see about 3 on gravel facing the grass. In the distance there are people and some kind of white statues. Some additional red and orange flowers are also visible in the distance.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Please comment with thoughts if you have insight into this topic, or ideas on what this makes you think of that you've experienced or witnessed in your own life! (🧵 4/4. The end!) #ComplicatedGrief #GriefAndTrauma #GriefSupport

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

It's complicated to parse out very specific definitions of grief, and if they contain trauma inherently or not. I think it can be useful sometimes to acknowledge that a lot of times people are dealing with being traumatized from the experience of how their loved one died. (🧵 3/4)

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

For some people, even decades later their grief might even contain unhealed trauma that it's helpful to process. For others, the trauma gets processed, and all that's left is the ongoing grief. (🧵 2/4)

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Grief and trauma are often so intertwined. When it comes to the death of someone close to you, learning how to cope with the trauma might be just as important as anything else. (🧵 1/4)

There's a wooden background in shades of teal, and a 3D bright red heart is sitting on it. There is an X of Bandaids over top of the heart.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

"Emily, may you continue to touch many people with your gift." — Lori B., funeral attendee

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

It was an absolute joy for me to sit back and hear Emily honour her as she talked about the impact my friend's life had on so many — including mine. My friend valued and respected good penmanship and she would have said 'well said, Emily!'

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Emily managed to weave all the various threads of my friend's life into a well-crafted, personal and original piece of art — creatively and thoughtfully written.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I received this unique testimonial afterward: "Emily Karp officiated my friend's Celebration of Life. Through interviews with her family,

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

"Taking care of this breed of dog requires extra patience and nurturing, and is a labor of devotion, much like a potter needs patience and care as they shape and refine each creation." These are just a few of many spots of where I placed the pottery theme into the eulogy. 💙

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

One of the many other notable details in her life story was that she adored Shiba Inus, both as her own pets, and also in a bigger way where she volunteered so much time towards helping rescue this breed.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

"choosing to have extra preventative surgeries as a way to mitigate additional risks of more cancers, and always keeping her eye on the future. " 💜

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

"Pottery has a strength and capability to it, as these creations are vessels that are built to be functional. Martha certainly was strong and capable, fighting multiple battles against cancers,

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

"Martha had a huge capacity for joy, and she always kept an optimistic and forward thinking attitude about everything in her life. This became a big part of her resilience: Like pottery that withstands the heat of the kiln, she endured life’s challenges with strength.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I found myself writing lines like: "Pottery, in fact, serves as a perfect metaphor for Martha herself: strong yet adaptable, exuding care and purpose, and undeniably beautiful." and:

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Discovering a fitting theme for a ceremony feels amazing. I realized one honoree's hobby of throwing her own porcelain and stoneware echoed all I'd learned about her incredible life story, and could be woven throughout the ceremony script. (See full thread!) #writing #poetic #metaphor #celebrant

A fully glazed finalized clay bowl made as pottery, painted in shades of green from very dark to very light, very circular patterns seen throughout from the spinning process.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Yeah it's really interesting how strongly I feel that the work is so fulfilling, feels so right and aligned with what I want to be doing. It gives me a sense of purpose for sure. Those of us who work in Grief and Death Care spaces seem to usually feel this strong pull towards it. :)

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

I'm... not explaining your lived experience? I'm telling you what I thought when I read your first way of phrasing things vs your second. Seems very different. I have a lot of trans people in my life who enjoy spending time with me. I'm sorry your experience has been so rough.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Engaging in this work as a Funeral Celebrant genuinely always feels so rewarding and positive. Even during the moments I find myself crying a little. The sadness also feels beautiful and meaningful.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

I always rehearse, and by the time I'm officiating I have spent so many hours getting used to the most emotional moments in the ceremony script. I never once have faltered while at the microphone in front of the crowd.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

I've needed to embrace that it's really okay for me to be human in the process. When I first started, even I was worried that maybe how emotional I sometimes get might make officiating rough at times. But it doesn't!

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

I learned to accept that feeling a lot of compassion towards my clients, and connecting so deeply to their stories, is actually a key part of what draws me to the work in the first place and why I do the job so well.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

...I was a little surprised by how emotional I got at hearing their stories, and how much I found myself crying alongside them.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

When leading the first live call for my first-ever cohort of the course I recently launched, while each student shared what they felt drawn to about designing something meaningful to honor their loved one's memory...

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

In the past, I would worry, "What if they were to notice I'm tearing up -- would they think it's unprofessional?"

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

I'll admit I do sometimes shed a couple of my own tears when we're in the family interview, and they're telling me about this person who just died days prior, and they're crying while talking to me. My empathy takes over.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

People often wonder how I can work with grieving individuals all the time and not be overwhelmed by sadness. (expand to keep reading the full thread) #grief #funeralcelebrant #crying #sadness #celebrationoflife #funerals #deathcareindustry #compassion #grieving

Flowers with hints of yellow, pink, and purple throughout the petals, fully open and facing downward in the rain with rain droplets covering them. There's a dark green background around them.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Oh. When I read she was doing "Everything she could to exclude you" sounds more "macro" aggression than anything microagression/small things that hurt/show lack of understanding. I believe as a queer but cis celebrant, I do know enough re: trans experiences to not make most of those mistakes.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

This video is an introduction to me and my business! I'm a Funeral Celebrant who writes & officiates Celebration of Life ceremonies, an expert on memorial slideshows & life tribute videos, and a course creator dedicated to helping you design something personalized to honor your loved one's memory.

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Emily Karp | Grief Pictured @griefpictured.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

That's so wrong, I'm so sorry this type of celebrant is out there.

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