Open AccessArt as Meditation: A Mindful Inquiry into Educator Well-Being
Author(s) -
Rachael Crowder,
Jennifer Lock,
Evelyn Hickey,
Mairi McDermott,
Marlon Simmons,
Katrina Wilson,
Rebecca Leong,
Noeleen De Silva
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4061
Subject(s) - mindfulness , meditation , contemplation , psychology , qualitative research , well being , pedagogy , social connectedness , creativity , psychotherapist , social psychology , sociology , epistemology , social science , philosophy , theology
Being prepared for the intensity and complexities that educators face in their work means building strategies for managing well-being. This qualitative study explored educators’ conceptualizations about their well-being using an arts-based, community-based participatory research (AB-CBPR) methodology. After a brief mindfulness meditation and contemplation of prompting questions, educators were invited to participate in drawing and writing reflections. The artifacts were coded to determine themes. Themes suggested the importance of human connectedness and interconnection, self care and nurturance, the healing qualities of the natural word, and the recognition that institutions need to provide space and resources to support educator well-being. The mindfulness-based art-as-meditation process was itself a salutogenic process and provided a means for developing a deeper understanding of educator well-being through a community-based participatory research approach.