Literature Review: How Arts-Based Reflection Supports Educator Well-Being

Sarah-Jayne Roe

Vancouver Island University

Maters of Education in Education Leadership

Leah Taylor

June 8, 2022
 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................2
Overview of Arts-Based Reflective Studies Reviewed...........................................................................2
Link to Educators' Well-Being.................................................................................................................3
Reflection for Educator Well-being........................................................................................................4
Defining Arts-Based Inquiry....................................................................................................................6
The Impact of Arts-Based Reflection......................................................................................................6
Arts-based Practice in the Form of Reflection and Well-being...........................................................8
Art-making and Well-being in Community.........................................................................................9
Limitations in Art-making in Reflection and Research.........................................................................11
Easing the Academy into Arts-based Reflection...............................................................................11
Easing Participants or Educators into Arts-based Reflection...........................................................13
Connecting Art and Written Text..........................................................................................................13
Arts-based Reflection and Emotions.................................................................................................15
Further Exploration of Articulating Well-being....................................................................................16
Capturing the Words of Well-being through Qualitative or Quantitative Methods.......................16
In What Ways Do Arts-based Journaling and Reflective Practice Support Educator Well-being?......17
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................20
References.................................................................................................................................................22

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

Introduction

The research in which I am partaking through my own critical arts-based autoethnography

explores the following question: In what ways do arts-based journaling and reflective practice support

well-being as an educator? I am exploring the intersections between the three constructs of self-

reflection, arts-based inquiry, and well-being. This review will analyze six different empirical, narrative,

arts-based guides and studies that focus on arts-based inquiry and will examine the use of a range of

different arts-based reflections in connection to well-being. While not all of these studies focused on

educators, per se, this review provides definitions, impacts, limitations, and implications of using arts-

based reflective practices in relation to educator well-being.

Overview of Arts-Based Reflective Studies Reviewed

In this section, I provide a basic introduction to the purposes and methods of the references and

sources I used in this literature review.

In McKay and Barton (2018), the researchers use a range of arts-based reflective practices to

“elicit participants' awareness of resources that support their well-being” (p. 356). Crowder et al. (2020)

also use a variation of arts-based research in the form of “arts-based, community-based participatory

research (AB-CBPR) methodology” in their qualitative study exploring educators ' conceptualizations of

their well-being (p. 875). A study by Kaimal et al. (2016) examined the outcomes of art-making by

“measuring cortisol levels (lowering cortisol, a proxy measure of stress, among healthy adults)” (p. 74).

Their study directly uses visual art-making as its practice. In the research from Burge et al. (2016), the

researchers introduce arts-based research practices of “cut-up and collage” (p. 730) and aim to reflect

on both the researchers’ and participants’ experiences of arts-based educational research activities. In

contrast, Wood's (2013) book is more of an exploration of a range of reflective journal practices that

provides a variety of examples, mostly from the author’s own perspective.

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

Of each of the papers or books explored, the study that most directly ties to my inquiry is McKay

and Barton (2018), whose guiding question is: Can arts-based reflective practices support teacher

resilience and well-being? However, each paper has its own viewpoint on arts-based reflective practice

and highlights a range of benefits that directly connect to well-being. This literature review will analyze

and synthesize those viewpoints.

Link to Educators' Well-Being

While the research on arts-based inquiry is quite vast, this literature review explores these

studies for their use of arts-based inquiry and reflection and its links to well-being specifically.

It is important to define what I mean by well-being. Well-being is defined in the Oxford

Dictionary (n.d., a) as "The state of being or doing well in life; happy, healthy, or prosperous condition"

(para. 1). Seeking a more comprehensive definition of educator well-being proved challenging. While

reviewing the works of Allies (2020), Chessman (2021), Hoy and Nguyen (2020), and Spilt et al. (2011),

which all focused on well-being, none could provide a clear definition of well-being because, as

Chessman (2021) states, “Well-being is a complex construct” (p. 161).

Well-being is a multi-dimensional construct that refers to a positive psychological state where

one experiences more positive than negative emotions; it interconnects life satisfaction,

meaning and purpose, autonomy, self-acceptance, and growth, which fosters a life of thriving or

flourishing. (Chessman, 2021, p. 149)

For this study, I define educator well-being as “a positive state of emotional health”.

In my research, I have identified how educators’ well-being is impacted due to environmental

stressors and due to educators' high levels of compassion and care for others (Allies, 2020; Hoy et al.,

2020; O’Brien & Guiney, 2021; Spilt et al., 2011). Crowder et al. (2020) also directly reference well-being

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

concerning educators' complexities within their work and state that “strategies are needed to manage

well-being” (p. 876).

This review offers an exploration of one such strategy. I focus on how arts-based reflection

supports educator well-being. I highlight the personal nature of well-being and how self-care can be

supported through the exploration of self. While not all of the studies I reviewed on arts-based

reflection focused on teachers' or educators’ well-being, as mentioned, McKay and Barton (2018) in

“Exploring how arts-based reflection can support teachers' resilience and well-being”, specifically direct

their studies to teachers and echo Crowder et al. (2020) when they state that well-being is supported

when individuals have the “strategies to access and action these through personal and contextual

resources” (p. 357). Chessman (2021) advises educators to “spend time reflecting on their own values,

beliefs, and purpose in life in order to be able to effectively lead students in doing the same” (p. 274). I

will elaborate on these findings in later sections of this paper.

Reflection for Educator Well-being

There are many definitions of reflection or reflective practice in educational literature. In order

to deepen my understanding and definition of reflective practice, I previously analyzed six studies that

specifically concentrated on a range of reflection or reflective practices using different research

methodologies. Some authors studied proven methods of reflection with arts-based inquiry; others

explored reflective practice for improving thinking, whereas others had well-being as the main focus or

purpose for reflective practice. However, all articles reviewed highlighted the benefits of reflection in

education practices.

Reflection is defined in the Oxford Dictionary (n.d.,b) as "Careful thought about something,

sometimes over a long period; your written or spoken thoughts about a particular subject or topic”, and

"an account or a description of something " (para. 6). Further to this, the Oxford Dictionary (n.d.,c)

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

defines the word Reflective as "thinking deeply about things" (para. 1). In its basic form, reflection

involves intentionally and often critically thinking, speaking, or writing a description or thought on a

matter. The studies I previously examined provided research on reflection and included self-reflection,

reflective practices, arts-based reflection, and journaling as reflection. In addition, these selected studies

suggest the benefits and use of reflection for improving well-being and for its ability to enhance a more

profound thought process for individuals.

Critical reflection is an important aspect of any educator’s practice. In his classic research on the

reflective practices of educators, Brookfield (2017) notes that a “critically reflective practice is a process

of inquiry involving practitioners in trying to discover and research the assumptions that frame how

educators work” (p. 197) and further notes that “theorists of reflective practice are interested in helping

teachers understand, question, investigate, and take seriously their own learning and practice”

(Brookfield, 1998, p. 215). Brookfield argues that this self-inquiry can help them overcome many

stressors while also gaining insights into ways of improving their practice.

My initial definition of reflection or reflective practice for the purposes of educator well-being

was “the ability to reflect on one’s own actions or to look back on what you have done and critically

assess one’s key learning and its impact”. This practice can be particularly helpful when processing

stressful events in a teacher’s workday. “Expressing what we know from our experiences can help us

affirm what we learn from harm’s touch and relieve us of its toxic effects by making it useful.” (Fish,

2017, as cited in Leavy, 2017, p. 347).

Reflective practice includes additional benefits, and the research notes a range of possible forms

and methods for this reflection. The implications are that various forms of reflective practice positively

impact well-being and enable deeper critical thinking. No matter which method was explored in the

research I reviewed, each showed the improvement of deeper thinking and the enhanced ability to

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

reflect upon one's actions. The overall impact on everyone, including the educators who choose to use

reflection, is powerful. To further explore the study of using reflection for well-being specifically, I will

look at a range of arts-based practices and arts-based journaling to bring a holistic response to my

research question.

Defining Arts-Based Inquiry

Arts-based inquiry encompasses a range of artistic approaches and strategies to both design

qualitative research formally and to critically analyze, understand, and investigate human experiences

formally or informally. I utilized arts-based research in my study design and my reflective process in my

self-study. Arts-based inquires can be used to explore areas or topics and express feelings that words or

text cannot always covey, often eliciting emotion. Many creative methods can be used for an arts-based

approach: "Drawing on the tenets of the creative arts in social research, and drawing on literary writing,

performance, dance, music, film, visual art, and other artistic mediums” (Crowder, 2020, p. 875).

Burge et al. (2016) describe arts-based research practices as taking inspiration from activities

and artifacts associated with the creative arts. Moreover, they add additional creative methods,

including “poems, photography, music-making, storytelling, painting and collage in order to investigate

experiences and disseminate ideas” (Burge et al., 2016, p. 731). For my study, I have specifically used

drawing and painting, using a mixture of media as the base of the art for my “lived” inquiry into the way

arts-based reflection supports educator well-being.

The Impact of Arts-Based Reflection

There are many positive aspects to using arts-based research and arts-based inquiry. The actual

practice of arts-based inquiry has a calming, reflective approach. Arts-based practice for reflection

allows space and time for the participants to think about themselves and to think deeper thoughts.

McKay and Barton (2018) state that “a range of arts-based reflective practices help to elicit awareness of

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

the personal and contextual resources that support resilience and well-being” (p. 356) and continued to

say that "consistent reflection contributed to the enhancement of teachers' resilience and well-being."

(p. 364).

Arts-based reflective practice allows participants to think differently and reflect more deeply on

their topic. Each study highlighted this: Crowder et al. (2020) noted that “art-making makes space for,

captures, and presents different ways of knowing” (p. 377). Burge et al. (2016) also state that "fresh" (p.

735) ways of thinking are encouraged through the process that gives rise to new insights, and the

practitioner is able to find unexpected meanings in conventional texts. Burge et al. (2016) further stated

that arts-based practice invites an alternative way of representing ideas and experiences, specifically for

academics familiar with speaking and writing. Wood (2013) states that reflection creates distance

between practitioners and their issues, which over time” helps to build up objectivity” (p. 14). Kaimal et

al.’s (2016) participants noted that “art-making is an enjoyable or relaxing experience associated with

freedom of expression, evoking a flow experience, stimulating insight, and providing a way to learn

about oneself” (p. 77).

Wood (2013) clearly differentiated between written reflection and creative reflection, with

“written reflection often beginning with a description of events and often ending with an action plan” (p.

122). Whereas creative or arts-based self-reflection frequently “begins with emotional discomfort and

ends with an emotional resolution” (p. 122). Wood (2013) immediately ties the creative side to

reflection as an emotive outcome. McKay and Barton (2018) argue that “supporting teachers to be

reflective practitioners as a means of coping allows them to recognize and respond to the contextual

and personal factors influencing their experience as teachers” (p. 357).

Concerning arts-based reflection, Wood (2013, p. 9) describes self-reflection as observing what

happens at work or home, investigating it to understand it, and making suitable changes. However,

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

Wood (2013) does not provide a clear definition of impact. What is clear from all the studies is that

there is an impact on individuals’ well-being, an attachment to the social and emotional aspects of art,

and that deep exploration of ideas through an alternative method to text is engaging and

transformative.

Each study considered in this inquiry relates arts-based reflection to opening up to an

exploration of self. What is noted in many of the studies, with the exception of Wood (2013) and McKay

and Barton (2018), is that most only used one instance of art-making and reflective practice. That is,

they only tried it on a one-off basis. I believe consistency and an ongoing practice are essential, allowing

educators to become more comfortable in this process. As McKay and Barton (2018) highlighted, it is

consistent reflection conducted over time that contributes to “enhancing teachers' resilience and well-

being” (p. 364).

Arts-based Practice in the Form of Reflection and Well-being

Arts-based reflection plays a vital and profound role in building teachers' well-being and

resilience and should be nurtured as part of professional growth. Crowder et al. (2020) explained that

the “art-as-meditation process provides a means for developing a deeper understanding of educator

well-being through a community-based participatory research approach” (p. 877). In Kaimal et al.’s

(2016) study, their research indicates that art-making resulted in a “statistically significant lowering of

cortisol levels” (p. 74). Participants also stated that they found the practice to be “relaxing and

enjoyable” (p. 74). Wood (2013) tied journaling and art-making to a healthier attitude toward work due

to exploring “attitudes, beliefs, and values” (p. 14) that can help educators reassess motivations. Wood

(2013) also explained that you often feel “energized, focused, empowered, or enthusiastic” (p. 125)

through reflection and creative work resulting in a sense of peace and satisfaction. In contrast, Burge et

al. (2016) made no connection to well-being but did make a case for arts-based practices being valuable

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

and stated they believed the art-making process would be "enlightening, enjoyable and developmental"

(p. 732).

What was challenging or difficult to see in each paper was a clear indication of why this shift

from distress to a sense of well-being happens. Each study highlighted that a shift happened; however,

only Kaimal et al.’s (2016) study indicated a possible reason why changes occurred in mood: they stated

that art-making actually lowered cortisol or stress levels, supporting well-being (p. 74). Nevertheless,

this does not give a deeper insight into why thinking was changed, other than participants having had

some space and time.

Wood (2013) explained that understanding is drawn through creation. The “act of creation

accesses intuition, imagination, feelings, and fantasies”, so self-understanding can arise organically,

“with no apparent effort” (p. 125). I believe that the actual act of creation opens us up to our feelings,

but the author’s note of “no apparent effort” may take away from the difficulties that could arise and

will be noted later. However, instead, I believe he is saying that after those difficulties are overcome, it

becomes easier to access this self-understanding without putting pressure upon it.

Art-making and Well-being in Community

Crowder et al. (2020) suggest that the images captured in art-making expressed educators' core

values concerning enhancing and practicing well-being. However, they note that the sense of well-being

was also tied to the art-making being a community project. Again, in Mackay and Barton's (2018) study,

it is also noted that "collegial support” (p. 362) and working through the reflections as a team process

were helpful. This finding begged the question: Would the well-being still be improved should it be an

individual project? Would this be something that would continue outside of the study? Kaimal et al.’s

(2016) study specifically identified through its art-making research and practice that participants had

reflected that group art-making “evoked a desire to make more art in the future” (p. 74).

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

My own inquiry is purely a self-study; however, what should be noted is I do share my work

through videos and through sharing the finished images in my learning and working spaces. As a result,

my solitary arts-based reflective practice and the resulting artwork have evoked curiosity and reflective

engagement from others in my community. So, although I am working alone in the process, I feel there

have been improvements in well-being for myself and others through discussions that often evolve

throughout the sharing process. Perhaps this should be listed as a note of oversight or even a limitation

of current arts-based practice research; perhaps there needs to be further study of the impacts on a

community when sharing stand-alone art-based reflective practices.

Kaimal et al. (2016) explored a range of other research on art’s impact on well-being and noted

that a few studies connect to the decrease of stress during arts-based activities. However, interestingly,

Kaimal et al. (2016) moved away from the art as the research focus and into an actual study on art-

making's impact on stress levels. Kaimal et al. (2016) noted how it would be unclear how to structure

the session for free creative self-expression, which would lower the stress response. That is the stress-

reducing potentials of the process of making art can’t necessarily be ascertained or assured. In

comparison, McKay and Barton (2018) made the connection between arts-based reflection and well-

being explicit, stating that through arts-based reflection, awareness of personal and contextual factors

that support resilience can help improve teachers' well-being and counter burnout. McKay and Barton

(2018) were also able to tie together that engaging in arts-based reflection can reveal information about

personal and contextual elements of their work that may be a threat, giving them an opportunity to

address that threat, which links to providing arts-based reflective strategies to support teachers' well-

being and resilience. Again, McKay and Barton (2018) stated that arts-based activities support teachers

working in challenging contexts.

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

What became apparent in all the studies herein considered is the overlapping or

interconnectivity of all the factors required to support well-being: the purposeful approach to reflection,

and the specificity of it being arts-based, guides the critical reflection of self towards a sense of well-

being, a circular process to improvement and supportive well-being, each relying on each other.

Limitations in Art-making in Reflection and Research

Each paper highlights the benefits of arts-based practice and reflection, but some also note its

limitations, especially when used for reflection-based research in academic fields. Wood (2013) explains

that arts-based reflection can be difficult to communicate to those who may be evaluating one’s work

and specifically mentions that "This becomes a problem if it is intended to be shared with a critical

friend, supervisor or tutor" (p. 122). Wood (2013) then states that it is essential to have notes alongside

the artwork and that "creative work is often not practical in an educational setup" (p. 122). They note

that it takes time to "ponder over another's creativity" (p. 122), and there is the risk of loss of

understanding due to the subjectivity or arts-based reflective images. While I agree that it can take

additional time, I feel it's important not to diminish the possibilities in creative reflection and the new

areas of exploration that it opens up both for individual well-being and for community well-being in

sharing one’s work. Engaging in other forms of description of the creator’s meanings could remedy this

difficulty of subjectivity. The insights gained from even a brief conversation on the work could be rich.

Burge et al. (2016) agree with this standpoint and state that "Once embraced, arts-based research

methods can lead to fresh insights, and new knowledge" (p. 735), not only for the author/creator but

also for others.

Easing the Academy into Arts-based Reflection.

In contrast, Burge et al. (2016) also state that it is not always easy for those trained in assessing

conventionally presented research to take arts-based reflections or research seriously; Burge et al.

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noted the difficulties of arts-based work being “read” by others who may struggle with understanding

alternative forms of representing learning or experiences. Burge et al. (2016) are also aware that in arts-

based research and reflection, it is often challenging to provide precision and, despite concerted efforts

to bring critical theory into arts-based reflective research, is still being seen as “outside the mainstream”

(p. 732). The same can be said for arts-based reflection in other academic settings. Wood (2013)

interjects an exemplar of this challenge to those with a more traditional positivist, objective

epistemological lens when stating that they would "prefer students to write in a logical, thinking style so

that I can follow their progress" (p. 122). If arts-based reflection or inquiry were tied to a needed

curriculum rather than one’s own practice as a teacher, this critique might have more weight.

Burge et al. (2016) state that this research may be “baffling to conventional academics” (p. 732).

As a person who sees through an appreciative, qualitative lens the use of arts-based practice throughout

my teaching, leading, and now through my own study, I feel this comment to be somewhat jarring.

While I found this point echoed throughout my educational experiences and know very well how

undervalued art and creation can be, it only further highlights the need for continued explorations and

applications among academic and “scholarly” practices. These oppositions or challenges suggest we

need more research into arts-based theories until they have become as “mainstream” as research

papers or as practitioner development strategies in teacher education. This resistance and discomfort

from students and faculty are highlighted explicitly in Burge et al.’s (2016) study, in which one

participant said, “But we are academics, and words are our most effective medium" (p. 734), a

statement which forms part of the title of their paper. This participant also noted that art-making

practices were “for those who struggle to express themselves”, and while I agree it’s an excellent way

for expression, it should not be limited to those who “struggle”.

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

Artful representation of learning or insights does not have to lack rigour. Noted by McKay and

Barton (2018), arts-based reflection strategies provide "not only tools for new ways of saying, but ways

of saying more" (p. 361). There is often room for new knowledge, discoveries, or indeed a “sense of

surprise, leading to insights and deep reflection” (Burge et al., 2016, p. 731). Through my own teaching

experience, I often used arts-based methods for learning and heard comments from both sides of this

coin, including: “You should teach in kindergarten with all this kid's stuff” to, “I find it so much easier

than pen and paper to learn this way.” So, while this review or the purpose of my own inquiry is not

directly related to art as a teaching or research method, I can see inherent biases leading to limitations

in its use for personal or professional reflection for well-being.

Easing Participants or Educators into Arts-based Reflection

Crowder et al. (2020), Wood (2013,) and Burge et al. (2016) note the difficulties within arts-

based studies for those that feel a judgement towards one's abilities when creating art. They noted that

prefacing the drawing component with reflective mindfulness meditation relieves some of the self-

judgment, anxiety, and stigma associated with producing art. They also highlighted that adults need a

non-judgemental attitude to participate. Wood (2013) addressed this by saying participants of arts-

based reflection should not limit themselves to "outdated views" (p. 127) and went as far as to say, "If

you can put lines on the page, you can draw, and the very act of frequently using drawings will make you

more confident in doing them" (p. 127). Burge et al. (2016) explained that arts-based reflective practise

poses a risk of alienating participants and the need to “weigh up creativity against rigour” (p. 733).

Kaimal et al. (2016) did state that while there was an “Initial struggle in the earlier stages of the art-

making”, it evolved to a “later resolution” (p. 74).

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

Connecting Art and Written Text

One key area mentioned throughout the studies I reviewed, as mentioned above in Limitations

in Art-making in Reflection and Research, was the exclusion or inclusion of written word or text. Without

the need to tie down emotions and feelings or put well-being into words, participants involved in the

practice of arts-based reflection can explore inner feelings more deeply and safely. Crowder et al.’s

(2020) study directly relate to this point, “In education, others have argued that spoken or written words

may be insufficient to describe an approach to wellness” (p. 878). To move one toward health, well-

being, and a higher quality of life, Crowder et al. (2020) suggest taking a “well-being generating process”

named "salutogenic" (p. 877) process, such as mindful arts-based reflection, which has the capacity of

building educator senses and potential without the limitations of language and labels. In McKay and

Barton's (2018) research, one participant, in particular, could consolidate their thinking via a collage that

they stated they could “not have done so effectively if they had needed to relay their thinking in written

text” (p. 363).

Whereas Wood (2013), with their clear preference for written word, sees the lack of words as a

possible disadvantage in that it can be challenging to communicate meaning without the "lingua franca"

(p. 121) of words. Another disadvantage is that the impact on well-being can be fleeting if the initial

meaning is not captured in some sense. I can agree with this point based on my own inquiry

experiences; I found that if a follow-up reflection using words — be they written or verbal—was not

completed, wherein I was further exploring the topics that surfaced through art-making, the insights or

feelings captured in the moment can become a fleeting thought and not able to be further explored

later. Also, in another study, a correlation through evidence noted that after participants had used their

words to work through their struggles within the art-making process, they reported learning more about

self and were slightly more likely to demonstrate a decrease in cortisol (Kaimal et al., 2016, p. 79).

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

Even though I think writing is an important means of recording your thoughts and feelings

during or after art-making, it is not the only way to aid your reflection. In turn, this does not take away

the impact that arts-based reflection can have on well-being if well-being is the only aim of the process.

Crowder et al. (2020) even noted that the data generated out of the “25 participant artworks collected,

24 of those also contained written text” (p.880).

Do artifacts of arts-based reflection need to have text included by the participants, or does it

highlight that they could not recall or describe initial thoughts to question without this inclusion of

words? Crowder et al. (2020) noted that the artifacts were chosen due to them having words, so again

this now ties back to Wood (2013), who mentioned the need for words so as not to have to interpret

creativity. Interestingly, on the other hand, McKay and Barton's (2018) research collection was initially

based only on the participants' written reflections. These responses were described as "sketchy or

incomplete" (p. 359), which again connects us to the ability or inability to use words alone to describe

emotions or feelings without arts-based reflections or imagery. Burge et al.’s (2016) collage activity used

words and phrases in a document that were collaged in visual ways that made sense. Does the use of

these words take away from the practice or add to it?

By requiring the addition of words, I feel there is the risk of muddying the initial intuitive process

as the addition of words adds a new cognitive layer that may “hem them in” instead of allowing new

insights, images, or words to emerge naturally. Yet, I can appreciate the collaging process and have used

words in my own arts-based reflective inquiry. Wood (2013) did say that artwork will always “enhance

the written word”, either through “the visual impact of breaking up the text or through increasing the

level of creativity” (p. 126). However, having participants provided with a document of words to reflect

upon, rather than giving them an experience of formulating their own words and ideas, will influence

and limit what the participants see or say in their practice. It is a cognitive prompt rather than intuitively

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thinking or feeling their way to new insights or creating images or words for themselves upon which

they can later reflect.

Arts-based Reflection and Emotions

When exploring the connection of the arts-based practice to emotion and well-being, I highly

agree with Wood's (2013) statement that "Creative reflection could be labelled a different paradigm,

allowing the journal writer to feel (rather than think) their way to a conclusion" (p. 122). The exploration

of feeling is the root cause or source of improvement in well-being for educators and arts-based

practice. Adding a layer of written description is important from a scholarly standpoint and for the

development of action or analysis. However, a written description should not be used to measure the

effectiveness of the activity nor take precedence over the validity of the emotions, insights, and impacts

on well-being that arose from the activity.

Further Exploration of Articulating Well-being

Throughout the studies reviewed, there has been a clear theme of the difficulty of showing a

correlation between arts-based reflection and well-being and of the difficulty of articulating feelings of

well-being through the practice. I have noted the difficulty in describing one’s improvement or sense of

support from my inquiry. I have found that arts-based reflection supports my well-being and can give

examples of how, but articulating these reasons can prove challenging. This ties in with Wood (2013),

who clearly outlines, "Transformation through creative self-reflection is a feeling in the heart, the gut, or

the breathing. It is an inner feeling that…. is often beyond words" (p. 125).

Capturing the Words of Well-being through Qualitative or Quantitative Methods

To articulate through the use of words the “feeling of support on one's own well-being” (Kaimal

et al., 2016) assumes others know how the participant was feeling from the beginning. Feelings of well-

being are not inherently part of a scale or quantitative measure. Nevertheless, this should be an

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approach to consider for future studies; as indicated by Kaimal et al. (2016), administering an objective

psychological measure of stress would be appropriate. As previously noted, arts-based and or visual

research methods have the potential to “elicit deeper, more emotional, more reflexive accounts

compared to more traditional approaches to qualitative research” (McKay & Barton, 2020, p. 103),

which once again ties us to the qualitative nature of the research, and its connections to emotion. Well-

being is a constructed and, at times, co-constructed experience. Qualitative research is, therefore, the

more appropriate methodology to gather insights into these feelings and experiences of well-being

which may (or may not) result from arts-based reflection instead of quantifying these experiences.

Crowder et al. (2020) noted that including a participant's statement for each artifact during or

shortly after the process through a range of means would have been a better way to record this data.

Kaimal et al. (2016) went as far as to code the narrative collected after the art-making as such to give the

qualitative data a quantitative database "to examine how and to what extent the narrative responses

related to changes in cortisol levels" (p. 76). The studies offer suggestions for recording reflections upon

well-being improvement, including Wood. (2013, p. 123) who said to keep a record of the practice for

reviewing, through writing, audiotaping, creating music, dancing, drawings, montage, painting, poetry,

pottery, quilting, singing, and videotaping. Again, this creates a layer of challenge if we need to interpret

through alternative means. Kaimal et al.’s (2016) study again stepped away from this articulation and

moved to a scientific research exploration with embedded qualitative data through the collection of

verbal feedback. Kaimal et al. (2016) also highlighted the limited understanding of the physiological and

concurrent psychological changes that resulted from art-making and furthered this to say that there is

indeed a need for further research using scientific research methodology (Kaimal et al., 2016, p. 75).

In What Ways Do Arts-based Journaling and Reflective Practice Support Educator Well-being?

Throughout the review of the literature, I found each article described a range of ways in which

arts-based journaling and reflective practice support well-being. Burge et al. (2016), Crowder et al.

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(2020), Kaimal et al. (2016), Wood (2013), and McKay and Barton (2018) each show similar ties and

keywords in describing the ways in which the practice supports well-being implicitly or explicitly.

Burge et al.’s (2016) key themes were the fresh insights gained from the art-making process.

They correlated these insights to having an increased and authentic sense of teacher identity. These

fresh and valuable insights allow educators to represent ideas and experiences they would not have had

before. The act of the art-making was "fun and liberating," which allows the practice to "shock and

surprise" (p. 734). Burge et al. (2016) were also able to identify helpful and unhelpful ways to engage in

arts-based reflection for well-being. For example, the processes can negatively affect well-being, mostly

due to the difficult beginning of the art-making practice. Educators can pause for thought and examine

assumptions which is a way of supporting well-being. However, these are my interpretations as Burge et

al.'s (2016) purpose of the study was not designed to connect to well-being, so there is no definitive

connection, moreover a list of benefits.

Kaimal et al.’s (2016) study explicitly link stress reduction through visual art-making. Participants

found the experience relaxing, enjoyable, and fun, allowing freedom of expression to evoke a flow

experience, stimulate insight, and provide a way to learn about oneself. What particularly stood out for

me in this study, in comparison to my own experiences of living through this method of self-inquiry, was

their report of well-being having a direct correlation to the process, which included losing self in the

work, feeling free, having art be a stress reliever and a form of distraction which ultimately led to

wanting to make art in the future. Each of these are direct ways in which the art-making process

supports well-being.

McKay and Barton (2018) outline that time and space are critical for growth and reflection.

Using arts-based approaches can enhance the quality and depth of reflection. The arts-based reflection

can reveal valuable information about personal and contextual resources they can draw from when

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

elements of their work become a threat that supports teachers' well-being and resilience. They continue

by stating that finding avenues to build teachers' agency, job satisfaction, and sense of belonging may

help retain some teachers who may be at risk of leaving the profession. In addition, one way that arts-

based reflection improves well-being is that it allows educators to step back and consider what aspects

of their work were draining or supporting their resilience. Arts-based reflection could be considered an

essential part of teacher education, assuming that faculty become comfortable with assessing students’

arts-based reflections; engaging in this practice early and often could provide a proactive way for new

teachers to develop strategies for maintaining well-being through engaging in regular reflective

practices before they enter their classrooms.

“An awareness of these factors and an understanding of the role they play in the day-to-day

experiences of teachers may help them, and those supporting them, to develop strategies and

programs that promote and sustain well-being in the future.” (McKay & Barton, 2018, p. 364)

Wood (2013, p. 14) claims one of the primary purposes of arts-based reflective journaling is tied to one's

own health and the value of creating time and space for practitioners to start healing themselves.

Woods' (2013) book further echoes other studies on how arts-based journaling and reflective practice

support well-being.

Once again, a clear outcome of arts-based self-reflection is that it provides a safe space to

explore thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes or feelings with 'ah-ha moments' along the journey. Wood

(2018) thoroughly explores the process of art-making, which can be energized, focused, peaceful, and

satisfying, and the well-being of a person that comes from feeling empowered, energized or quieting the

mind. Reflective thinking overall reduces stress by finding solutions in the process.

From these outcomes, it appears that thinking deeper and revealing oneself through arts-based

reflection allows us to see ways in which we need support. The practise allows us to find our areas of

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

need and development and helps us know our values. Having fresh insight on matters can give us a

perspective to see and feel things differently. The physical act of art-making in itself has benefits of

improved well-being through the enjoyment of the process. However, for some, it must be noted that

there may be initial uneasiness in the process; with prolonged use as opposed to one-off experiences, it

can be profoundly thought-provoking and valuable.

One area that was not explored fully by any paper chosen here is the difference between all the

different forms of art. I chose Fine Art (hands-on practice such as drawing and painting) for my practice.

There are many different impacts within each arts-based practice. At the same time, some of the studies

did mention the range of art approaches, such as in Crowder (2020), Burge et al. (2016) and Wood

(2018). Each in itself is so broad that it is not necessarily possible to tie the benefits of arts-based

reflection to well-being as a whole, and as such, it should possibly be tied to Fine arts-based reflection.

Conclusion 

The overall message of these studies of arts-based reflection and practice is that art-making

eventually correlates to a feeling of enjoyment in the experience. Joyful feelings and well-being go hand

in hand; arts-based reflections can be said to elicit 'positive emotions'. Empirical research on arts-based

reflection supports or at least has an underlying narrative of enhancing well-being. That said, each study

noted the difficulties in articulating the specific benefits for participants, but some had explored ways of

measuring these benefits or positive outcomes, such as through a written journal, note-taking,

monitoring cortisol levels, or conversations.

Interestingly, these papers highlight that arts-based practice opens up the participant to

exploring ideas which they may not have done previously. Arts-based practice removes the ties of being

connected to having to fully tie-down ideas in words with a pen and paper; this also has limitations on

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

how others read it. Even when collected, verbal annotations are still, as noted by Kaimal et al. (2016),

highly "subjective" (p. 75).

Each paper noted the impact of arts-based reflection as connected to an exploration of the self;

this is a crucial aspect of arts-based work. Arts-based reflection has a connection to well-being through

the exploration of emotions and difficulties, including articulation of one’s own attitudes and beliefs, and

resulting insights or “surprises”, which are key sources for improvement or support for educators. Arts-

based reflection practice for well-being allows one to explore emotions and feelings without constraint.

This approach is open to people with all levels of abilities and of all ages and can be used for a range of

different cultures and backgrounds. Although this was not something explored too deeply or explicitly in

the papers, it was inherently mentioned throughout. For example, Kaimal et al. (2016, p. 77) noted no

differences between ages, gender, or race/ethnicity. Through the intersection or synergistic combination

of these three constructs – art-making, reflection, and well-being – arts-based reflective practice can

give space and time for exploration of oneself and one’s feelings and provide deeper reflection and a

more mindful approach to self. The key here is that it is tied to self and improvement, which will support

educators' well-being through a mindful approach.

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 Literature Review: Arts-Based Reflection Support Educator Well-Being

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