As part of Diversity Week, where the main theme was Empathy, I was asked to lead a workshop focusing on this topic. I decided to invite a friend and fellow ZHdK student to co-lead the session with me.
Why this subject?
Our lives are shaped by listening to one another, with empathy playing a crucial role in fostering connection—not only with others but also with ourselves. However, recognizing what an empathetic response looks like can be challenging, as it varies for each person.
Our lives are shaped by listening to one another, with empathy playing a crucial role in fostering connection—not only with others but also with ourselves. However, recognizing what an empathetic response looks like can be challenging, as it varies for each person.
Through an experimental approach to artistic expression, we explored what a language of empathy might look like. By creating a space where no prior knowledge is required, the workshop was open to anyone interested in deepening their connection with themselves and others.
This workshop was quite different for me. Unlike previous workshops, I didn’t prepare a text beforehand. Since this was an experimental writing workshop, I chose to draw inspiration from the participants' texts after the session. However, this text is still a work in progress.
In this workshop, Jonas and I decided to focus on two writing exercises, as we only had two hours. These exercises encouraged collectivity, teamwork, and a deeper understanding of empathy—both in how it is expressed and how it is perceived. We explored the different "languages" of empathy, reflecting not only on how others experience it but also on how we, ourselves, wish to communicate and receive it.
