The Getting to Know Ourselves project

  • Reflection, an opportunity to sit and tend to ourselves, our experiences, and our lives with curiosity and care. For me in England it’s a chance to put the kettle on and take a pause.

    This project is an invitation to spend a little time responding to some open questions on varying topics and contribute to understanding ourselves and each other just a little bit more.

    I have found that social media, with all its pros and cons, at its core provides a constant stream of moments from people we’re connected to over time: friends, family, colleagues, teachers, celebrities, influencers… even people we may not remember the reason we “follow.”

    In Instagram land each post might be meaningful on its own, but placed next to everything else, it often loses weight.

    What’s missing? Perhaps it’s as simple as context.

    I’m curious to explore what happens if we try something else. What happens if we co-create a collection of reflections responding to a topic or theme? If the responses are weaved together and offered to our global community, can we begin to notice how similar we are? Can we be inspired? Can we learn from each other?

    Today, I acknowledge that I am connected to such a variety of people. It would be interesting to see how that tapestry of folk responds, meets each other within a contained theme, and gains insights into how we answer simple questions.

    My intention here is to explore, to learn, to cultivate connection, and to see whether the possibility of meaningful reflections can come together with enough weight to engage our collective hearts and minds.

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    Getting to Know Ourselves collects short, honest reflections from people around a single theme at a time. By seeing many perspectives together, we notice patterns, discover shared experiences, and remember that we are not alone. Your contribution can be small - a few lines or a simple photo - but when placed alongside others, it helps create understanding and connection across everyday life.

    New reflection questions are uploaded every now and then. Join the newsletter to be notified.

Surroundings

Surroundings

Theme 1

Launched 2nd February 2026
Entries closed on 22nd February 2026

Pause and notice where you are right now.
Where are you on planet earth? Can you expand on a simple one word answer?

There’s no rush to respond.
Carry the questions for a few days if you like.
Notice what keeps coming up.
Maybe capture a few photos.

What might feel mundane to you could be a window into your world from someone on the other side of the earth.

An open question is one that can’t be answered with just “yes” or “no.” While you could give a short answer, you’ll get much more out of it if you sit with the question for a while. It can be interesting to see the stories that emerge when we express ourselves in this way. Open questions invite longer, more detailed responses and encourage explanation and opinion, in group settings we find discussion. As humans, we are meaning-making machines, shaping our understanding of the world through both ourselves and others.

Questions
Where are you right now, and what do you notice about this place?
How does the weather (or the atmosphere) around you affect your mood or thoughts?
How are you moving through or connecting with your surroundings these days?
Share something you’re noticing right now, no matter how ordinary it seems. You can also upload a photo that connects to your reflection - something you took recently, or any image that captures a moment, a feeling, a place, or anything that drew your attention.