Wisdom Tree I – Zhou Song, Maddox Gallery

From ekphrasis to surrealism to abstract watercolour – four writing sessions that use visual art as a doorway into your own writing and experience.

No art or writing experience necessary. Just curiosity and a pen (with an opportunity for a little abstract painting for those who fancy it).

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During my recent trip to Brighton, we were impressed with the varied exhibits at Brighton Museum. These examples were chosen as prompts to inspire the attendees who attended.

8th July – Home and Away (already happened)
Inspired by Caleb Parkin’s ekphrastic writing prompt, we took inspiration from art around us – and made something new from it.

Missed it? The prompts are in the subscribers’ chat – have a go in your own time and share how you’ve got on.

15th July – The Pictures that Shape Us
Getting curious about the part art has played in our own story – favourite images from childhood, memories of making, and the art that's stayed with us without us quite knowing why.

22nd July – Surrealist Poetry Play
Inspired by Salvador Dalí and playful prompts from Carol Ann Duffy and Kate Clanchy, we’ll tap into our subconscious to create fresh associations and surprising imagery – bringing both your rational adult self and your five-year-old’s instincts to the page.

Please have four sheets of A4 ready to tear up and write on.

29th July – Painting a Poem
Exploring metaphor and a little guided abstract painting (no experience necessary), we’ll write a poem about someone we know well.

If you’d like to have watercolours or paints handy, now’s the time to dig them out – though paper and pen work too.

Join on Zoom
Free throughout July and August. No writing experience necessary. Come as you are.

From September, Wednesday Write-Togethers become part of a paid community offering.

Can’t make it live?
Prompts go into the subscribers’ chat after each session – so you can write in your own time, share if you want to, and see what others are making.

Join the chat →

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Loved it so much I bought it

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People are writing and sharing in the subscribers’ chat – returning the next day with more, inspired by what surfaced in the session. One community member has started writing and publishing on Substack, bringing the self-compassion work directly into their writing life. Quietly, in their own way, becoming more self-centred – more attuned to their own value, what they need and want to say.

That’s what this space is for. And summer feels like the perfect moment to mark it, look ahead at what’s coming, and invite you more fully in.

What’s been happening – June Write-Togethers

Each Wednesday this month, a small group of us have met to write. Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve explored:

Writing We Love – We turned our reflections on the writing that moves us into a found poem together. A few lines from what emerged:

I find myself rejoicing and free
every morning a new guest
Beauty begins with silence
A permission slip to be fully and authentically myself.*

*Full poem in subscribers chat.

Creative Talismans – We explored the objects, images and words that anchor us to our creative practice. Not luck. Perseverance. Trust in your own voice.

Boys Will Be Boys – We read Jessica Urlichs’ poem that breathes new life into a phrase we all know, and wrote into whatever part of it spoke to us. For anyone who has ever been told – or told themselves – what they are, and what that means.

Channelling Cool – With a heatwave bearing down, we used our imagination and attention to find cool. We wrote ourselves to the edge of cold water, felt the heat on our skin, and discovered what the body knows about the other side of courage.

It worked! Your writing was so evocative and beautiful and, YES, cooling!

If any of this makes you wish you’d been there – you’re warmly welcome. From 8th July, sessions run live every Wednesday. Next week, I’ll post a written prompt in the subscribers’ chat – write in your own time, share if you’d like to.

Over the summer

Beach photos by Sophie Poll-Hulshoff. We look forward to joining her next week!

Wednesday Write-Together continues every week through July and August – Wednesdays, 5:30–6:30 pm UK time.

Over the summer I’ll also be publishing pieces on two offerings I’m developing for September:

Commute to Health – a framework I’m finding genuinely useful for building sustainable movement into daily life, without the demand-energy or fear-driven shame. I’m trialling it as a live shared space: creative, reflective, sometimes collaborative – exploring and refining the whys that make habits feel affirming rather than punishing.

Compassion Circles – a live space of support and continued practice for past and present Compassion Journalling students.

More on each soon.

From September – a paid community

From September, Wednesday Write-Together will become part of a paid subscriber offering.

I’ve kept it free while the community found its feet. It felt right. But the sessions are facilitated – carefully, weekly, with intention – and building something sustainable means that needs to change.

Here’s what I’m currently building toward – a growing offering that will evolve with the community:

• Weekly Wednesday Write-Together – live on Zoom, with prompts posted in the subscribers’ chat for those who can’t make it

• Monthly live sessions – launching with Commute to Health and Compassion Circles, developing in response to your requests and needs

• Full archive access and a dedicated subscribers’ chat

The price: £9 per month.

This is an introductory price – reflecting where we are right now, and what I want this community to be: accessible, genuine, and worth your time. I’ll be reviewing it later in the year, in conversation with you.

This price is guaranteed now until the end of September.

If you’d like to lock in this price for a full year, an annual membership is currently available at £90 – working out at £7.50 per month for weekly Write-Together sessions, community holding, and live monthly sessions combined.

To put it in context: a single 90-minute workshop of this kind typically costs £16–35. A monthly subscription gives you weekly sessions, live community spaces, and a growing archive of writing for wellbeing resources.

Before I shape September’s offering – I’d love to hear from you

Three quick questions. Your answers will directly shape what I build.

To reply in more detail and let me know what you would like more of, email me or message the subscriber chat.

One more thing

The interview with Alice Bramhill I mentioned in the June newsletter is postponed – she’s scaling back to take some well-earned rest. We’ll reschedule when the time is right, and I’m looking forward to sharing that conversation with you.

Wednesday Write-Together – Wednesdays, 5:30–6:30 pm UK time Zoom. Recurring Zoom link 8th July - 19th August: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89578861993?pwd=dXNHcOSjSB87o246QR69Pfctp23N4A.1 | Passcode: 252085 |
Room opens 5:25 pm

If you’d rather not receive newsletter updates in your inbox, you can manage your preferences by clicking ‘Unsubscribe’ at the bottom of any email from this publication and choosing which sections to keep – or via Substack Settings under Subscriptions. Any problems, just let me know.

Please pass this on to anybody you know who might enjoy it.
Word of mouth is everything at this stage.

In the June newsletter I wrote that Wednesday Write-Together runs during the first three weeks of June. That was a mistake – I’m running all four Wednesdays in June. It’s the first week of July I’ll be away.

Apologies for any confusion. You are warmly welcome tonight and next week.

Tonight – Wednesday 17 June, 5:30–6:30 pm UK time

Yesterday morning I brought a client the poem we’re using tonight– chosen deliberately, with her in mind. Jessica Urlichs’ Boys Will Be Boys – a poem that breathes new life into a phrase we all know.

I won’t share what happened in the room. But I will say: she was already a poet and the session brought her a step closer to knowing it. It left me wanting to work more with this poem and bring it to today’s session.

You don’t need to be a parent or have a son. You just need to be someone who has ever been told – or told themselves – what you are, and what that means.

We’ll read it together, write into whatever part speaks to you, and see what surfaces.

Recurring Zoom link: 🔗 https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89578861993?pwd=dXNHcOSjSB87o246QR69Pfctp23N4A.1
Passcode: 252085
Room opens at 5:25 pm. Come as you are.

A small change going forward

Until now, I’ve been posting each week’s theme in the comments below the Wednesday Write-Together page. Going forward, I’ll publish a short post for each session – as a reminder and to give you a heads up on the theme and any extra materials I recommend you bring with you.

If you'd rather not receive these session updates in your inbox, you can manage your preferences by clicking 'Unsubscribe' at the bottom of any email from this publication and choosing which sections to keep – or via Substack Settings under Subscriptions. Any problems, just let me know.

I find myself rejoicing and free

every morning a new guest
The moments when two people smile and their hearts join in
The geese turn into the light again
delight in a mother’s rebelliousness

The moments when two people smile and their hearts join in
Beauty begins with silence
delight in a mother’s rebelliousness
A windswept elemental place, demanding a response 

Beauty begins with silence
You may be alone but you are one with the substance of the place
A windswept elemental place, demanding a response 
remembering my inner strength

You may be alone but you are one with the substance of the place
A permission slip to be fully and authentically myself.
remembering my inner strength
every morning a new guest

We created this together at last Wednesday’s Write Together. We each bought a piece of writing we love and wrote about its meaning to us. We then offered up lines to contribute to the collaborative poem above. Not something anyone had to write alone and not dependent on level of writing experience. Some of us are poets, others of us might rarely put pen to paper. I’ve had the privilege of weaving collaborative poems with many and diverse groups – some participants professional writers, others partially literate. Each with a love for words that gave birth to a unique poem woven from that day’s voices combined.

Expertise is not necessary for a meaningful experience, just a held space that feels safe to share authentic feelings and believe that your individual and collective voices matters. Genuine connections emerge.

A brief history of Pantun

Pantoum is a poetic form inspired by the pantun, a traditional Malay oral poetry form dating back to at least the 15th century. Originally created as ‘sastera rakyat’ – literature of the masses, pantun was woven into daily life for sharing wisdom, emotions, and connection.

The Western ‘pantoum’ adapted from the ‘pantun berkait’ (linked pantun), but traditional pantun had a different structure: the first two lines (sampiran) set context, while the final two lines (isi) carry the main message. They were meant to be interactive, often improvised in conversation.

We’re borrowing the interconnected structure to weave our voices together, while acknowledging this beautiful form comes from the rich oral tradition of the Malay archipelago.

In writing this, I explored the traditional pantun in more detail:

The Malay Heritage Foundation – traditional Pantun both in their original Malay and in translation: https://mhf.org.sg/poetry/, bahasainterpreter.com and Pantun Baba Chan: The Art and Beauty of Traditional Baba Malay Poetry by Chan. It includes bilingual texts with online audio recordings in both English and Baba Malay.

I now look forward to exploring pantun in its more traditional form too. Maybe you'll join us at our next session.

Wednesday Write Together You are warmly welcome to join us. Find out more here, or come straight to the weekly Zoom.

Join the session: https://us06web.zoom.us/s/89578861993?pwd=dXNHcOSjSB87o246QR69Pfctp23N4A.1 Passcode: 252085

Contributors – you are welcome to include your name and Substack links below, as well as information about the texts which inspired you.

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After a few tentative first steps, a fledgling community is beginning to grow and I’m very grateful for the connections we’ve already made. Thank you to everyone who attended the Embodied Lovingkindness & Compassionate Body Dialogue Workshop and, my latest offering, the weekly Wednesday Write Together. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you.

Now feels like a good moment to introduce a monthly newsletter. Here’s what’s happening in June, along with a few thoughts about how I hope to develop this community — and what I’d love to hear from you.

A quick note: everything below takes place across the first three weeks of June, as I’ll be on leave during the final week.

Compassion Journalling – 4-week course

The next course starts Tuesday 2 June, 7–9 pm UK time. Across four weekly sessions, we’ll use two-pen dialogue, visual mapping, poetry, and mindfulness to help you develop your compassionate voice and build self-trust. The course draws from Compassion Focused Therapy and is grounded in therapeutic writing practice.

One bursary place is available. There’s no means testing — simply tell me why the course speaks to you. Please check that you’re available for all four Tuesdays before applying.

Register your interest below or email me at kate@self-centred.com.

Full details here. Please share with anyone who might need it.

Wednesday Write-Together

Wednesdays, 5:30–6:30 pm UK time, on Zoom.

An hour of guided reflective writing and creative play. I offer prompts, space, and silence — no performance required.

We’ve had two sessions so far, and the feedback from those who've found it valuable has meant a great deal.

If you’re reading this and wondering whether to try it, you are warmly welcome to join us. Full details here.

Please note: in June, sessions will run during weeks one, two, and three. I’ll also be sharing a piece on expressive writing and creative health — exploring some of the research behind why spaces like this can matter.

Interviewing the wonderful Alice Bramhill

I’m looking forward to interviewing the warm, funny and inspirational Alice Bramhill. An interpersonal psychotherapist, therapeutic coach, registered mental health nurse, writer, artist, and unschooling parent to two neurodivergent children. We’ll be talking about how her career and life experience led to her being diagnosed with ADHD at 47 and Autism at 50 and how her experience informs the thriving community she has created here on Substack. Find out more here.

What would you like more of?

I’ve been sitting with a piece about the three emotional systems from Compassion Focused Therapy — threat, drive, and soothe — and how understanding them helps me manage my energy, maintain boundaries and build self-trust. It’s an integral part of Compassion Journalling I'd like to share it with those of you who haven't yet taken the course – it'll come when it's ready.

I'm also considering a second space within the Self-Centred community: Commute to Health. A framing I find genuinely useful for building sustainable movement into daily life – likely launching this September. If supporting your physical as well as psychological wellbeing feels relevant to you, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

In the meantime, is there something you’d love me to write about or explore in a workshop? A question you keep returning to, or something from the sessions that has stayed with you? Drop a comment or send me a message – I read everything. This community is still finding its shape and your voice is helping to shape it.

And if any of this feels right for someone you know, please pass it on. Word of mouth means a great deal at this stage.

Zoom Room opens at 5.25pm to allow you to get settled before it starts.

I offer prompts and we write alongside each other – in silence, cameras optional, no performance required. Some weeks I’ll bring a full session with the opportunity for shared writing. Some weeks I’ll offer something light. You can follow what I offer or write on whatever is most alive to you.

Sharing is always optional. This isn’t a workshop where there’s pressure to produce something, it’s just an opportunity to try new forms and create work individually and in community How much you engage during the hour, is up to you.

How we hold space for each other

By joining a Write-Together session, we’re all agreeing to treat each other – and ourselves – follow the – CARES framework:

Creativity & Confidentiality – What’s written and shared in the room stays in the room unless otherwise agreed

Active listening – True presence as a gift – to ourselves and each other.

Respect – Kindness, always.

Equality – Equal right to a voice and to be taken seriously as a writer.

Sharing & self-care – Sharing is always optional – feel free to pass, no    questions asked.

You choose how much or little you write and share any given week. Consider yourself invited – you are warmly welcome. Free to join.

Wednesdays, 5:30 pm UK. 5.30-6.30 pm UK time (BST) Recurring Zoom link. You are warmly welcome. Free to join.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89578861993?pwd=dXNHcOSjSB87o246QR69Pfctp23N4A.1

Meeting ID: 895 7886 1993

Passcode: 252085