The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily [encore] 1368: Do You Consider Writing to be Therapeutic? by Andrew Grace
Dec 10, 2025
Maggie Smith explores the intriguing question of whether writing serves as therapy. She distinguishes between writing and therapeutic practices, emphasizing that her goal is to articulate experiences rather than seek healing. A key highlight is Andrew Grace's poignant poem, which beautifully encapsulates the connection between grief and the limits of art as therapy. The discussion encourages reflection on poetry's role in cultivating attention and invites listeners to consider supporting the creative journey.
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Separate Writing From Therapy
- Do not conflate creative writing with therapy; seek professional therapy when you need healing.
- Use meditation, walking, running, or music as complementary ways to calm your mind when not in therapy.
Writing As Clarification, Not Cure
- Writing's aim is to articulate experience clearly to oneself and others rather than to heal it.
- This articulation opens you up and makes you more fully alive and aware of the stuff of life.
Articulation Can Reopen Wounds
- Articulating an experience can sometimes feel like the opposite of healing because it reopens wounds.
- Writing creates openings that increase awareness and aliveness rather than closing pain.