In this heuristic arts-based research, I applied Moustakas’s Six Phases of Heuristic Inquiry (Moustakas, 1990) to investigate how the experience of textile repair and transformation practices can be used to explore and cultivate self-compassion in the artist-researcher life. Self–compassion is a psychological mechanism that allows oneself to effectively regulate and cope with negative emotions, addressing with kindness to their suffering. Cultivation of self-compassion fosters the ability to stay mindful and self-kind in the moment of emotional turbulence, accepting the stress as a common human experience (Neff, 2003; Neff & Germer, 2019). In psychotherapy practices, compassion-focused intervention aims to help the clients to find and practice the self-compassionate voice, recognise, and create imagery, that fosters compassion in one’s life, while accepting and embracing imperfection (Gilbert, 2009). Responding to feelings of discomfort and daily stress as a mother, immigrant, and art therapy intern, I have engaged in textile repair and transformation, and through this art practice, I welcomed self-compassion in my life. During the restoration sessions, I mindfully examined the damaged garment with an intention to offer compassion, kindness and actively transform those objects into wearable art. 

Searching for personal reflection as well as professional insight, I aimed to appraise the benefits of textile repair and transformation as compassion stimulating medium with art therapy clients. 

Textile repair and transformation is a symbolically rich medium that can connect humans to their past and ancestors. The textile process may provide an expansive tactile and bilateral experience, eliciting creative flow. Moreover, this media is ecologically oriented because it uses upcycled materials, prolonging the life of textile garments. Reuse of textile and reduction of textile waste and consumption is an act of compassion towards our planet and should be integrated in eco-minded art therapy practices.