Walk It, Talk It, Write It: Author Laing F. Rikkers' Three-Step Formula for Getting Through Loss

Walk It, Talk It, Write It: Author Laing F. Rikkers' Three-Step Formula for Getting Through Loss

From Grief & Happiness by Emily Thiroux Threatt

April 21, 2026 · 32 min · Episode 422

About this episode

Laing F. Rikkers shares her three-step formula for healing through creativity after experiencing loss.

If you've ever turned to creativity to make sense of loss, episode 422 of the Grief and Happiness podcast is for you. Author and grief specialist Laing F. Rikkers shares how losing her sister during the pandemic led her to a simple but powerful healing framework: walk it, talk it, write it. Through morning pages and botanical poetry, she transformed her grief into an award-winning book — and shows how even the most personal pain can carry something universal. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (00:53) Introducing Laing Rikkers and her book Morning Leaves (03:17) How losing her sister and the pandemic sparked a creative awakening (06:08) Poem reading: "Cactus" — on loneliness and self-protection (07:16) Why loneliness is the grief emotion nobody warns you about (07:58) Poem reading: "Lemon Tree" — on generosity and resilience (09:00) How nature became the language of her healing (13:42) Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and the power of morning pages (16:27) Walk it, talk it, write it: a three-step framework for healing (17:41) How creativity switches off the inner critic and restores rest (25:19) Why natural sunlight is the most powerful antidepressant (26:17) How stargazing can…

People in this episode

Host: Emily Thiroux Threatt

Guest: Laing F. Rikkers

Topics covered

  • grief
  • creativity
  • healing
  • loss
  • poetry
  • mental health

Keywords

  • grief
  • healing framework
  • morning pages
  • botanical poetry
  • creativity
  • loss
  • mental health

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Morning Leaves, The Artist's Way

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