Kind Words - Mindset Tip #7
Nurturing Creativity and Compassion in the Writer's Life
Last week, we explored celebrating small wins. This week, let’s turn our attention to practicing perspective kindness—a way of extending empathy and understanding into our creative process. As writers, we often see the world through the lens of our own experiences, but stepping into another’s perspective can deepen our work and enrich our understanding of others. Research suggests that perspective-taking activates regions of the brain associated with empathy, helping us build stronger emotional connections in our stories. This practice doesn’t just benefit our characters or readers; it fosters self-compassion, allowing us to approach our creative struggles with a kinder, more forgiving mindset. By embracing perspectives beyond our own, we open the door to greater authenticity, nuance, and connection in our writing—and in ourselves.
Practice “Perspective Kindness” in Your Work
Try writing from viewpoints that challenge your perspective. This act of perspective-taking can help deepen empathy, both in your writing and personal life. Embracing characters or ideas different from your own fosters openness, enriching your writing with nuanced, compassionate storytelling.
Let’s Play: The Other Side of The Mirror
Choose a character, event, or moment from your writing that you know well. Now, imagine you’re seeing it from a completely different angle—through the eyes of another character, an outsider, or even an inanimate object within the scene.
Spend 10 minutes writing from this new perspective, but focus not just on what this other viewpoint sees—also explore what they assume or feel. How does their history, bias, or emotional state color their understanding of the scene? What do they notice that the original perspective misses?
After writing, reflect: How did this shift in perspective change your understanding of the scene or character? Did it reveal new tensions, motivations, or moments of connection? This exercise pushes you to think beyond your default lens, cultivating empathy while unlocking unexpected layers in your storytelling.
I’d love to hear how this practice goes for you—feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
Have a great week and Happy Writing!