Arts-based Research

penny (New Zealand)

Arts-based research is arts-based research. Please don’t ask me towrite a non-arts-based research arts-based research.

“Crossing the boundaries between science and the arts, I struggled to find common ground ...” I wrote. Before I finished the sentence, I paused – thinking: there must be a better way to express my feeling, but how? What’s the advantage of crossing the boundaries of diverse disciplines? I reworked the sentence: “Crossing the boundaries between science and the arts, by nature, I endlessly wrestle with the choices these disciplines can offer, including deciding a literature review approach and writing styles ...” Having the above thoughts in my mind, I started this collage. I was amazed that the same brainstorm methods used to create artwork can be used in writing. In this case, collage. My first time working with this method for writing, I borrowed the knowledge from what I am familiar with as an artist. Well, when I said ‘the knowledge’, it’s basically simply ‘make stuff’ - just like what I would do for my art practice. This may sound easy – simply making stuff – but it is not. It is a learnt craft.

On reflection, indeed, this is a learnt craft. And I am lucky to have the art training to borrow from. My first time doing it for writing, I was a bit clunky, but I got there. I came to realise that, for sure, I need to voice my intention to write an interesting piece of thesis, regardless of which discipline. In other words, I have no intention of writing a dry-toast thesis only for the imaginative examiners (imagining that they were only interested in the dry-toast category thesis).

No, no.

And, by the way, my research is arts-based research. Write creatively is essential for such research. To make it happen, I need to negotiate my way through, constantly. Yes, the rework process is important – deconstruct, reconstruct, re- deconstruct, then re-reconstruct. What I want to include in this process is creative juice. I am excited about the creativity tool kit offered by the course and the supportive community.