13/10/2026
✨ 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝓢𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓴
Part 2 of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲— 12 creative writing invitations to pause, notice, and turn everyday experiences into words.
Have you ever noticed how much easier it can be to offer understanding, compassion, and forgiveness to others than to offer those same qualities to ourselves?
This is where 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 comes in — one of the central themes we explore at Olotites through our experiential workshops.
One of the practices we often invite participants to try is surprisingly simple: through writing, or even role-play, imagine responding to your own mistakes, failures, or difficult moments with the same understanding and kindness you would offer a dear friend.
But there is an important detail here.
𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁.
Because we don't always have that capacity. When we are struggling ourselves, feeling exhausted or lacking care and support, even being there for someone we love can become difficult. And recognising our own needs and limitations is also part of self-compassion.
The point is not that we need to be doing well to deserve kindness. Quite the opposite. It is precisely when we are struggling that we may need it the most.
𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴?
Another approach we love is to borrow someone else's eyes for a moment. Think of someone who genuinely loves and cares for you. How do they see you when you're struggling? How do they speak to you when they are feeling loving and emotionally available? What might change if you allowed yourself to see yourself through their eyes?
And perhaps that's another way poetry and self-compassion meet: through the words we choose, the stories we tell ourselves, and the possibility of seeing ourselves from a different perspective.
💬 Feel like sharing? Leave a sentence, a thought, or a feeling in the comments. Your experience might inspire someone else to look at themselves with a little more kindness.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲?
Created within the Erasmus+ project 𝗣𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘀𝘁, a collaboration between 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and 𝗢𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 co-funded by the European Union, with the support of .
