255. Why Bad Poetry is Good for Grief with Margaret Bryden

"Living a full life, living a beautiful life, means learning how to carry grief."

What if grief isn't something we're meant to get over, but something we're meant to learn how to carry?

In today's episode, I'm joined by therapist and author Margaret Bryden to explore the intersection of grief, creativity, and the healing power of honest expression.

Margaret's upcoming book, How I Understand It: A Bad Poet's Guide to Mental Health and Resilience, offers a refreshing invitation to set aside perfection and discover how writing can help us better understand ourselves and our experiences.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why grief is an inevitable part of living a full lifeHow "bad poetry" helps quiet perfectionism and self-criticismTurning grief into something tangible we can hold and understandThe role of creativity in restoring agency after lossWhy many people feel pressure to perform griefNarrative authority and reclaiming ownership of your storyThe connection between poetry, self-awareness, and healingWhy resilience is learning how to love differently

How creative expression reduces isolation and fosters connectionA simple way to begin writing, even if you've never considered yourself creative

Links + Resources from this episode:

Buy Margaret's bookConnect with Margaret onlineFollow her on InstagramBecome a PatronLearn more about Restorative Grief