Arts-based reflection for care of self and others in the academy: a collaged rhizomatic journey

Arts-based reflection for care of self and others in the academy: a collaged rhizomatic journey

It is important for academics to perform with a high degree of self-awareness to strive to achieve a state of balance between their work and personal lives (Rendón, 2009). Nevertheless, working in the academy can be both challenging and rewarding as change can occur daily (Englund, 2018). In this competitive and demanding culture, academics can be particularly vulnerable when subjected to critical feedback, scrutiny from many sources on their performance and pressure for greater accountability. In compounding factors such as a struggle to find ongoing employment, unsuccessful funding applications, rejection letters from journal articles, this can result in significant amounts of stress and uncertainty, regardless of where academics are in their career journeys (Berg, Huijbens & Larsen, 2016; Edwards & Askanasy, 2018). The stress and uncertainty can lead to a decrease in performance, and in some cases, reduced physical and emotional health and well-being (Poalses & Bezuidenhout, 2018). We acknowledge that not all experiences in the academy are negative and unpleasant. However, in this context, we seek to reflect on how we engaged creatively to support our health and well-being by using reflective practice. We understand that through collaboration, listening and understanding, we can share our lived experience and move closer towards a kinder academy. To achieve this, we drew on three arts-based practices: storying, poetry, and the making of a collaborative artwork called “otherness” to map our journey in academy. We argue that through collaborative reflective practice, we can enhance “mindfulness, contemplation and feelings of stability in work and personal lives” (Beer et al., 2015, p. 162).

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