How do you write emotions that words can’t explain?

I’m working on this piece where i want to create an artwork that shows grief not as a story that needs an explanation, but as a feeling.
i’ve been through a phase like that myself, so I think thas why this idea feels so personal. I’m trying to imagine a scene with someone who’s grieving, but i keep thinking about how to show that emotion without just writing a whole explanation about what they’re feeling. maybe i’ll add a little poetry or some words with it, but at the same time… as being an illustrator i want my artwork to be the thing that speaks. i don’t want people to remember the quote I wrote. i want them to remember the image, the feeling, the little details, and the story they created in their own mind while looking at it.
for artists/writers here, how do you create something based on an emotion you’ve experienced? do you explain it, or do you let the work speak for itself?