Grief as Alchemy: Kirsty Strang-Roy on Play, Place and Creative Practice

"I think it’s a beautiful kind of alchemy to turn something so shitty into something so positive... my metric of creativity, the metaphors I use, everything that I'm interested in comes from that excavation of the grieving process."Kirsty Strang-RoyFor the first “on the road” episode of The Creative Resistance Podcast, I was joined by writer, bookseller and facilitator Kirsty Strang-Roy. I’m lucky to call Kirsty a friend and we recorded this in her beautiful writing cabin on the south side of Glasgow, sitting among the piles of kit that I’m yet to fully figure out!As well as shining a light on Kirsty’s phenomenal writing, this conversation is a deep dive into creative practice exploring how we navigate personal trauma and the weight of a collapsing world by rooting ourselves in play and community. Kirsty shares her journey from a childhood in rural Aberdeenshire to becoming a trauma-informed practitioner who advocates for “learning through play.” We talk about why gathering to write and “chat absolute nonsense” isn’t just a hobby—it’s a vital act of survival in an age of empathy paralysis.I hope you enjoy the chat.Scott CassidyInside the Episode* The Radical Nature of Play: Kirsty discusses her “Froebel-informed” approach to adult creativity. We explore how Friedrich Froebel’s original kindergarten principles serve as a rebellion against a culture that only values the end product.* Grief as Geography: A moving exploration of how the loss of her brother shaped Kirsty’s writing and her ability to hold “brave spaces” for others.* Gathering: The impact of Write Like a Grrrl and why showing up for each other acts as a physical salve for the nervous system.* Deep Time and Landscape: Using folklore and mythology to unearth our place in the world today, from the stone circles of the North East to the witch trial maps of Scotland.About KirstyKirsty is a writer, bookseller, and creative facilitator living in Glasgow. Her work explores a sense of place through seasonal shifts and excavations of deep time; unearthing themes of grief, connection, and the body. She teaches the Write Like a Grrrl course and leads creative writing and participatory workshops in collaboration with organizations such as Arkbound, The Barn, SMHAF, and Glasgow Life.Resources Mentioned* The Library: Louise Glück, Max Porter (Lanny), Lewis Grassic Gibbon (Sunset Song), Margaret Atwood, Anne Carson, and Samuel Beckett.* The Framework: Froebel’s play theory, Deep Ecology, and the National Library of Scotland’s map archives.* The Practice: Write Like a Grrrl, trauma-informed facilitation, and the “shitty alchemy” of the creative process.Contact* Write Like a Grrrl - www.writelikeagrrrl.org* Kirsty's Instagram - www.instagram.com/kirstystrangroycreates/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreativeresistancepodcast.substack.com