🎨 Your Challenge, Should You Choose to Accept it ...
Look back through some old photos, and choose a couple that stand out. What makes these moments stand out? What emotions are captured in the photo? What about the setting creates a tone? What do you notice about the people included?
Imagine one of your characters having a similar experience, but that fits into the life you've imagined for them. This doesn't have to be a scene you plan to include in your story (though it can be a scene you eventually want to write, if you choose). Where might this character be? What might they be doing? With whom?
Create a collage or a drawing of your character in this moment. Be creative with it and let the experience for your character be as different as it needs to be in order to fit into the life of your character. Maybe the only similarity is that they're both birthday parties, but their party is on the moon with completely different activities and decorations and people. See if you can still capture the feel of that experience from your own life, whether it's joyful, painful, hilarious, embarrassing, or otherwise.
Ultimately, the question is, how can you use moments from your own life to help you empathize and connect with your characters?