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Mindfulness as Art Education, Self-Inquiry, and Artmaking

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Title: Mindfulness as Art Education, Self-Inquiry, and Artmaking
Language: English
Authors: Graham, Mark A. (ORCID 0000-0003-2521-5190), Lewis, Rebecca
Source: Studies in Art Education: A Journal of Issues and Research in Art Education. 2023 64(1):75-96.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2023
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Metacognition, Art Education, Educational Practices, Power Structure, Pandemics, COVID-19, Intervention, Educational Experience, Visual Aids, Student Attitudes, Mental Health, Preservice Teachers, Teacher Education Programs, Therapy, Comparative Analysis, Art Teachers, Teaching Methods, Social Emotional Learning, Criticism, Holistic Approach, Art Products, Curriculum Design
DOI: 10.1080/00393541.2022.2154529
ISSN: 0039-3541
2325-8039
Abstract: This article presents an overview and continuation of a study investigating how artist awareness and critical response might provide a better understanding of mindfulness and its practice within art education. While there are distinct advantages to mindfulness practices in education, these practices might also have problematic aspects, such as helping people conform to oppressive structures in education rather than questioning them. The pandemic of 2020-2021 accentuated student concerns with social, emotional, and mental health and illuminated possible benefits of mindfulness practice. Results show that preservice art education students used mindfulness and data visualization to connect art and self-inquiry. Important findings included the positive impact mindfulness practices had on students' social-emotional learning and a refined distinction between mindfulness as a therapeutic educational intervention versus mindfulness an art educational experience.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: EJ1385135
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0162355200;sae01jan.23;2023Mar14.06:03;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0162355200-1">Mindfulness as Art Education, Self-Inquiry, and Artmaking </title> <p>This article presents an overview and continuation of a study investigating how artist awareness and critical response might provide a better understanding of mindfulness and its practice within art education. While there are distinct advantages to mindfulness practices in education, these practices might also have problematic aspects, such as helping people conform to oppressive structures in education rather than questioning them. The pandemic of 2020–2021 accentuated student concerns with social, emotional, and mental health and illuminated possible benefits of mindfulness practice. Results show that preservice art education students used mindfulness and data visualization to connect art and self-inquiry. Important findings included the positive impact mindfulness practices had on students' social–emotional learning and a refined distinction between mindfulness as a therapeutic educational intervention versus mindfulness an art educational experience.</p> <p>This was a difficult year.... [L]earning how to cope with anxiety and depression through mindfulness has been life changing. I have learned how to regulate my emotions and how to overcome fears through meditation and artmaking.</p> <p>A<bold>nnie's comment reflects the intriguing possibility that mindfulness might have a significant connection to artmaking and personal well-being.</bold> Mindfulness is often used as an intervention to improve teacher reflection and effectiveness and to relieve the stresses of teaching (Armstrong, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>]; Bates, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref2">2</reflink>]; Ergas, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref3">12</reflink>]; Sellman & Buttarazzi, [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref4">50</reflink>]). Mindfulness is also associated with artistic endeavors and with stress management for students (Bates, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref5">2</reflink>]; Ergas, [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref6">11</reflink>]; Langer, [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref7">37</reflink>]; Patterson, [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref8">46</reflink>]; Southern, [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref9">51</reflink>]). In this study, we examined connections between mindfulness and art education among three groups of preservice art educators within the context of an advanced studio-methods course. We also examined the impact of mindfulness practices on students' self-care and self-reflection within a range of educational, personal, and social experiences. We expanded our original study of two semesters (Graham & Lewis, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref10">20</reflink>]) to a third semester during the COVID-19 pandemic in the winter of 2021. This study was designed to interrogate connections between mindfulness practices, artmaking, pedagogy, and social–emotional learning.</p> <p>We used the context of art education to examine critically the understandings and misunderstandings of mindfulness as applied in educational settings. An important rationale for the study was to give students strategies for self-reflection and self-care that they could adapt to their own teaching practices. Mindfulness interventions are often used to address school-related stress; however, we wanted to diverge from this approach to consider how mindfulness might also function as an educational experience within an art classroom (Bates, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref11">2</reflink>]; Ergas, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref12">12</reflink>]). Throughout the study, the critical awareness of the artist provided key insights about mindfulness and its practice within existing educational structures, including the art classroom.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-2">Connecting Mindfulness to Schools and Teaching</hd> <p>Many mindfulness practices come from Buddhist teachings about how we understand and relate to reality. In traditional Buddhism, mindfulness is a schema of practices for gaining insight and overcoming suffering (Bodhi, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref13">4</reflink>]; Hyland, [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref14">29</reflink>]; Nhat Hanh, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref15">42</reflink>]). While some scholars have argued that mindfulness practices need to be connected to their spiritual roots to be fully effective, these connections are potentially problematic within secular schools (Brown, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref16">6</reflink>]; Jennings, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref17">31</reflink>]). One way to circumvent what could be perceived as a religious practice is to disassociate mindfulness from Buddhism, instead connecting it to the development of virtues such as kindness, compassion, and personal or social liberation (Brown, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref18">6</reflink>]). This approach presents mindfulness as a valuable practice rooted in the ancient idea of education as a holistic endeavor that promotes character, ethics, virtue, compassion, and social engagement (Bates, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref19">2</reflink>]; Ergas, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref20">12</reflink>]). Mindfulness as a way to further social, emotional, and physical health was adopted in a Western context largely due to the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, who applied mindfulness in a secular, clinical setting, framing it as a method to reduce stress for patients who had been admitted into a hospital (Kabat-Zinn, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref21">33</reflink>]; Sellman & Buttarazzi, [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref22">50</reflink>]). Kabat-Zinn ([<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref23">32</reflink>]) defined <emph>mindfulness</emph> as an "awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally" (p. 27).</p> <p>In schools, mindfulness practice can take the form of relaxation, a coping intervention, a way to develop attentiveness, or a tool for human flourishing (Ergas, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref24">12</reflink>]; Oliver et al., [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref25">44</reflink>]; Sellman & Buttarazzi, [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref26">50</reflink>]; Zenner et al., [<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref27">56</reflink>]). Various researchers claim that mindfulness can result in increased mental and physical stamina, enhanced memory retention, and decreased anxiety and stress (Brown, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref28">6</reflink>]; Burnett, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref29">7</reflink>]; Murphy, [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref30">40</reflink>]; Williams & Penman, [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref31">53</reflink>]). Mindfulness might be particularly important in education, a field with high levels of burnout and exhaustion (Felver & Jennings, [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref32">14</reflink>]; Jennings, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref33">31</reflink>]). Educators concerned with the spiritual, ethical, and affective aspects of teaching and learning—aspects often marginalized by modern approaches to schooling—have welcomed the application of mindfulness within education (Burnett, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref34">7</reflink>]; Hyland, [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref35">29</reflink>]). One such educator, Ellen Langer ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref36">36</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref37">37</reflink>]), experimented with cultivating specific mindsets that promote mindful learning and explored connections between mindfulness and creative pursuits, including artmaking. For Langer ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref38">36</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref39">37</reflink>]), mindful learning is characterized by an openness to new information and an awareness of other perspectives, as well as an ability to continuously find new ways to classify objects. Langer's ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref40">36</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref41">37</reflink>]) approach includes an attitude of questioning knowledge or assumptions that are taken for granted.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-3">Mindfulness and Art Education</hd> <p>Within the field of art education, mindfulness can be viewed as a means for inspiring the creative process and creating social engagement. Maxine Greene ([<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref42">21</reflink>]) suggested that experiences with art can create new possibilities of vision and self-reflection, critical awareness, wide-awakeness, and a break with the mundane, all of which could lead to social action. Brooke Anne Hofsess ([<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref43">27</reflink>]) connected mindfulness to a renewal of craftsmanship, or the art of making things well. She noted that the complex attending-to involved in craftmanship is an important prerequisite for an active and complex understanding of sustainability and of our relationships with the natural world. Based on these views, mindfulness might be defined as a focused convergence of intellect, feeling, and the senses, including the art of noticing, that moves us toward critical pedagogy, social and environmental action, and generative relationships. The idea of connecting of mind, body, and spirit within a holistic approach to education is important for art educators concerned with self-reflection and the ways in which the spiritual aspects of art might overlap with the creative process (Bates, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref44">2</reflink>]; Haynes, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref45">25</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-4">Personal Data as Creative Material and Data Visualization</hd> <p>Data visualization is an important method for representing data that can also be used as a tool for self-understanding and artmaking (Klein, [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref46">35</reflink>]). The artistic use of data often embraces nontraditional materials, visual metaphor, and symbolism to express or understand experiences over time. Data visualization is a way to explore patterns and communicate otherwise hidden or ignored facts (Bertling et al., [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref47">3</reflink>]; Dean & Bertling, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref48">8</reflink>]; Grodoski, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref49">22</reflink>]). In this study, participants translated their ongoing experiments with mindfulness into visual forms. We have expanded the notion of data visualization to include self-reflective, autobiographic documentation of experiences over time as an artistic strategy for participants to understand and communicate their own interpretations of mindfulness. Using personal data as creative material has precedents in the work of Lupi and Posavec ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref50">38</reflink>]), who used the data gathered from everyday interactions to become more observant and reflective of the ordinary events of their lives.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-5">Social–Emotional Learning</hd> <p>Recent research has suggested that there are important connections between artmaking and social–emotional learning (Edgar & Morrison, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref51">10</reflink>]; Omasta et al., [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref52">45</reflink>]). Qualities like confidence, self-efficacy, a growth mindset, perseverance, an understanding of emotion, self-regulation, and resiliency are outcomes often associated with social–emotional learning (Frey et al., [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref53">17</reflink>]). These same attributes are also associated with both mindfulness practice and art education. According to Patterson ([<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref54">46</reflink>]), artmaking may mirror mindfulness or meditation, which "can enhance students' capacity for self-regulation of attention, impulse and emotions" (p. 190). Partly due to these benefits, the National Consortium for Core Arts Standards ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref55">41</reflink>]) described the development of social and emotional well-being as a primary purpose for arts education.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-6">Critics of Mindfulness in Education</hd> <p>Although some research has shown mindfulness practices to be beneficial, critics of mindfulness have posed concerns with using such practices in educational settings. Schools often introduce mindfulness interventions as ideologically neutral self-care exercises, which is troubling for various reasons (Hyland, [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref56">29</reflink>]; Purser, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref57">47</reflink>]; Sellman & Buttarazzi, [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref58">50</reflink>]). For example, mindfulness could be used to help teachers and students adapt to oppressive situations instead of becoming more self-aware and critical of educational structures (Farias & Wikholm, [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref59">13</reflink>]; Purser, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref60">47</reflink>]; Reveley, [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref61">48</reflink>]; Sellman & Buttarazzi, [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref62">50</reflink>]; Southern, [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref63">51</reflink>]). In such a situation, mindfulness training becomes a cost-effective approach for supporting teachers who work under oppressive conditions rather than a way for teachers to develop their inner lives (Murphy, [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref64">40</reflink>]).</p> <p>In his critical study of mindfulness, Purser ([<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref65">47</reflink>]) noted, "A tool of self-discipline, disguised as self-help, mindfulness only serves to reinforce the destructive logic of a dysfunctional system" (p. 37). Another concern is that an intentionally therapeutic approach to art education within a mindfulness curriculum is problematic for educators not trained as therapists (Ecclestone & Hayes, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref66">9</reflink>]). Therefore, it might be more fruitful to consider how mindfulness can be educational rather than therapeutic. For example, in art education, mindfulness might be associated with artistic dispositions, such as observation, attentiveness, development of craft, and reflection (Hetland et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref67">26</reflink>]; Patterson, [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref68">46</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-7">Mindfulness, Holistic Education, and the Spiritual Dimensions of Art Education</hd> <p>Mindfulness practice can be connected to holistic education and transcendent experience, becoming a catalyst for artistic experiences that unsettle certainty by entertaining alternative perspectives toward gaining knowledge (Francis, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref69">15</reflink>]; Greene, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref70">21</reflink>]). Indigenous scholar Shawn Wilson ([<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref71">54</reflink>]) noted that having a healthy sense of spirituality may be just as important as other aspects of mental, emotional, and physical health. Author and activist bell hooks ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref72">28</reflink>]) argued that many students seek an education that is healing, meaningful, and liberating. She called this a holistic education and an engaged pedagogy.</p> <p>Artists who create religious art depict sacred places and objects to invoke a transcendent experience in viewers. These artists focus on the spiritual aspects of human experience and journeys of personal development. Distinctions between spirituality and religion are important, particularly in contemporary art, in which the transcendent or metaphysical is not defined by religious creeds or practices. Yoon ([<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref73">55</reflink>]) called this kind of spirituality the <emph>numinous</emph>: an experience of a mythological or spiritual archetype that is not limited to a religion. Many contemporary artists, including Marina Abromovic, Kimsooja, Wolfgang Laib, Ernesto Pujol, and Bill Viola, express the spiritual or numinous in their art (Jacob, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref74">30</reflink>]). For example, Abramovic approaches transcendent understanding through performance and views rationality with suspicion due to her belief that modernist systems overemphasize proof, evidence, and quantitative patterns (Jacob, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref75">30</reflink>]). Bill Viola's video work evokes the transcendental events of dying, birth, or rebirth as essential aspects of the human experience that can be communicated through art. Both artists highlight the importance of ritual and underlying themes of transcendence in art and experience.</p> <p>For this study, we designed a mindfulness curriculum that included both traditional and contemporary approaches to artmaking as a spiritual or holistic endeavor (Oliver et al., [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref76">44</reflink>]). The course of study included religious rituals and iconography as ways to explore the spiritual dimensions of artmaking as a mindfulness practice. For example, the <emph>mandala</emph> is a Tibetan Buddhist art form that is also an element of complex rituals designed to bring people toward enlightenment. The Kalachakra sand mandala was traditionally part of sacred rituals known only to a few practitioners. However, the 14th Dalai Lama encouraged more public knowledge of the mandala and its accompanying rituals and Buddhist teachings, which included the wish to end suffering, attain enlightenment, and gain a correct view of reality (Brauen, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref77">5</reflink>]; Graham, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref78">19</reflink>]).</p> <p>The term <emph>mandala</emph> has many popular cultural associations and is commonly used by art educators to describe artwork that is based on radiating or circular designs. The Swiss psychologist Carl Jung suggested that the circle and the surrounding square are archetypical symbols deeply rooted in the human psyche. He described mandala-like images in many cultures and saw them as symbols of unity and as an antidote for chaotic states of mind (Brauen, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref79">5</reflink>]). In this course, we focused on the cultural context of Buddhist mandalas as a form of sacred geometry to explore connections between art, enlightenment, and spirit. The process of emulating the visual constraints of Buddhist mandala images was both a design strategy and a metaphor to explore how ideas related to transcendent experiences could apply to art and education (Figure 1).</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 1. Sandra Houghton, Tibetan Mandala (courtesy of Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art) and Sewn Design, 2021. Cloth, 36 × 36 in.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-8">Methodology</hd> <p>This was a qualitative case study of preservice art education students that explored connections between mindfulness, social–emotional learning, and artmaking. The guiding research question was: How might mindfulness practices connect to art education? A related question was: How might various mindfulness and mind–body experiences contribute to self-inquiry or self-care? Throughout the study, the critical awareness of the artist–researcher and artist–participants contributed to an understanding of mindfulness within the context of art education. We explored the complexities of student experiences with mindfulness and artmaking using both narrative and arts-based research methodologies.</p> <p>Narrative inquiry is designed to explore the nuances of experience and their complexities over time (Kalin, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref80">34</reflink>]). Our research relied on the participants' nuanced personal accounts of their experiences. Participants often used autobiography, a form of narrative description, to reconstruct their personal experiments with and reflections about mindfulness. Throughout the investigation, personal narratives were shaped by and expressed through the process and products of artmaking. This reflects the idea that visual arts practice is a form of understanding, construction of knowledge, and a valid form of research (Meier, [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref81">39</reflink>]; Sullivan, [<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref82">52</reflink>]). Consistent with an arts-based research methodology, the art studio was a site for participant investigation of the phenomenon of mindfulness, which was given additional context and meaning through the students' commentaries. The artwork and accompanying commentaries were analyzed by the researchers as sources of knowledge related to the research questions.</p> <p>Student autobiographical narratives of experience, including those intrinsic to artmaking, were important sources of data. Arts-based research views artistic practices as moments for building knowledge, asking questions, performing analyses, and reporting data (Hafeli, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref83">24</reflink>]). Visual forms and artistic reflections added another dimension of understanding to researcher observations and participant accounts of experiences. An artwork was both a form of inquiry for students and evidence needing interpretation and analysis by the researchers.</p> <p>In this continuation of our original research (Graham & Lewis, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref84">20</reflink>]), students were asked to shape the direction of the study through their own personal inquiry about mindfulness. The students participated in a review of research literature and were asked to design and explore their own research questions based on their interests. This approach further encouraged autobiographical commentaries about their experiences with mindfulness. The mindfulness curriculum used in this study also functioned as a research experiment. Student learning included individual reflections and gathering of data about personal mindfulness practices. These reflections were also sources of research data. Participant narratives and artworks were given further context and meaning through individual interviews, group discussions, and researcher observations.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-9">Participants</hd> <p>The participants were a purposeful sample of preservice art teachers. The research was relevant to these participants based on the assumption that experiences with mindfulness would provide future teachers with tools they could use in their professional practice. The first iteration of the study involved 10 undergraduate students in an educational preparation program over a 16-week period, a second iteration involved 14 students over another 16 weeks, and a third iteration involved 18 students over 16 weeks during the winter of 2021. In accordance with the study's Institutional Review Board approval, we advised students about the research design and gave them a chance to opt out. We also asked students at multiple points throughout each iteration of the study about the content of the course, their own experiences within the inquiry, and their individual questions about mindfulness and artmaking.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-10">Data Collection</hd> <p>Each week, students were given specific prompts for reflection and artmaking related to the topics being studied. They recorded their responses in individual artmaking journals. These journals included approximately five to seven entries per week (Figure 2). These reflections and studio experiments were both learning experiences and sources of research data. In addition to these written narratives, we had regular group discussions and individual interviews with the participants. These discussions explored questions about the epistemology, their personal well-being and struggles, and their insights into the potential and limitations of mindfulness practices within the study of art and teaching. Student artwork, including visual documentation of experiences with mindfulness, was a significant source of data about the students' experiences over time and was an important way for participants to engage in their own inquiry. During the third iteration of the study, students wrote detailed summaries of their experiences in connection with their own research questions.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 2. Samples of student journal entries.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-11">Data Analysis</hd> <p>Student responses were organized by emergent patterns relative to the research question. We collected data in various forms, consistent with a mixed-methods research approach. Although each cohort had a different array of responses, for this report we attempted a holistic selection of responses and images illustrating significant themes that emerged. Combining artmaking with accompanying commentaries provided valuable insights into student experiences. The visualization process was also a form of analytical inquiry that was particularly relevant for art students as they worked out design and pictorial metaphors to share stories of their own inquires and encounters with mindfulness.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-12">Curriculum</hd> <p>We designed the course curriculum to facilitate thoughtful artmaking and self-reflection, suggesting possibilities for how mindfulness could converge with art education. The curriculum also functioned as a research experiment intended to explore the connections between mindfulness and art education. The curriculum included a study of artists whose work emphasizes the spiritual aspects of human experience. We included various mindfulness exercises and material based on the Alexander Technique and Bartenieff Fundamentals (Gelb, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref85">18</reflink>]; Graham & Lewis, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref86">20</reflink>]; Hackney, 2002/[<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref87">23</reflink>]). The class met twice each week for 3 hours, and at least 1 hour was spent on various mindfulness practices. During the pandemic semester, the class was divided into two groups of nine, which met in separate rooms, with one group exploring mindfulness and the other group studying various art methods. The groups switched after 90 minutes. Additionally, for all three iterations of the class, we connected practices grounded in mindfulness to repetitive activities, such as walking, drawing, and weaving. As a culmination of their study, students designed a 2-week art mindfulness practice that reflected their personal approach to mindfulness and artistic practice.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-13">Results</hd> <p>This study was a curricular experiment that combined mindfulness practices within an art methods class designed to critically examine mindfulness and its connections to art education. Patterns in student responses emerged relative to the question of how mindfulness might connect to artmaking and issues of self-care. Throughout the study, the critical awareness of the artist contributed to an understanding of these questions. Connections between mindfulness and social–emotional learning was an important theme in the data, which aligned to Sabol's ([<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref88">49</reflink>]) findings that, for some art educators, social–emotional learning was particularly relevant because of pandemic-induced stress.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-14">Self-Care and Social–Emotional Learning</hd> <p>Issues of mental health, anxiety, and depression were apparent throughout the study, particularly during the pandemic semester. Students were concerned with the stress of school, relationships, life choices, performance, body image, and self-worth. They also worried about what their classmates and teachers thought of them. Many students had a positive experience with mindfulness within the context of their ongoing struggles with school, isolation, and personal emotional challenges. These students' responses suggested that mindfulness practices might have positive benefits for social and emotional health, a result that is apparent in the following student comments:</p> <p>The first time I did mindfulness I was blown away.... I felt like I had this awareness and gratitude for my body, it was actually a spiritual experience for me.... I tend to struggle with body image but that was the first time I felt deeply connected to my body as a gift.</p> <p>Last year felt more anxious than any time in my life.... I noticed a correlation between tracking, practicing recording to better understand patterns within myself and my emotions.... It helps me step back and think about why I act the way I act or what [the] bigger patterns in my behavior [are].</p> <p>I didn't think I knew how much stress I was under until I took the time to think about it in this class. I felt liberated when I was able to put a name to the feelings and symptoms I was having.</p> <p>The past year of my life has been extremely tumultuous. Meditation and mindfulness practices have aided me in trying to live my life more purposefully in the present.... Mindfulness practices have also made my art practice more loose, free-flowing, and reactive to each mark that I lay down on the page.... I have seen for myself the positive effects on my mental wellbeing and newfound inspiration in artmaking.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-15">Mindfulness as Art Education: Observational Drawing</hd> <p>There was a distinct overlap with mindfulness practices and studio dispositions, such as observation, awareness, and developing craftsmanship. For example, students completed multiple observational drawings as a strategy to develop mindful presence, during which they recorded their thoughts and impressions. The intention of these drawings was to develop awareness and curiosity rather than to produce finished artwork. As one student said, "My approach was just to listen to the paper. For me, the drawing was an invitation to experience the world in real time" (Graham & Lewis, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref89">20</reflink>], p. 478). Another student used her observational drawings to illustrate times of personal reflection, or what she called healing moments. She described how taking the time to draw helped her gain and maintain a sense of calm and awareness. It was apparent in her drawings and her enthusiastic responses that observational drawings as a form of mindfulness were transformational for her. Her observational drawings also reflected a careful analysis of the relationship between mind and body (Figure 3).</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 3. Carol's observational drawings (from Graham & Lewis, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref90">20</reflink>], p. 478).</p> <p>Student "Amelia" also used observational drawings as a catalyst for self-reflection (Figure 4). The commentary that accompanied her drawings describes these reflections, as well as other concerns:</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 4. Amelia's observational drawings.</p> <p>What is mindfulness? How can we use our minds well? What is important in life? Future life. Teaching and parenting. Looking at the blinds I find myself in constant search for outside relief. What is the purpose of getting an education? Standardized testing. Texture of paper. Bumpiness of pen across paper.</p> <p>Amelia was able to use her observational drawings to engage with her environment and was particularly interested in how the craft of drawing might connect to mindfulness and emotional health.</p> <p>Throughout each iteration of the study, emotional and physical issues came up as students used the medium of drawing as self-inquiry. For example, student "Lydia" produced several anatomical drawings that illustrate her struggles with chronic pain (Figure 5). She noted in her journal, "I hope to be more aware and hopefully find help! Where is my pain? Why?" Although it is difficult to know if connecting drawing to self-inquiry was helpful for Lydia, the documentation of her experiences helped us better understand her concerns and struggles.</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 5. Lydia's anatomical reflections.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-16">Mindfulness as Art Education: Craft</hd> <p>It was significant that many students had a positive response to crafts, such as weaving or crocheting (Figure 6). Craft and craftsmanship are important artistic dispositions that art educators often seek to cultivate (Hetland et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref91">26</reflink>]). Regarding craft, students noted the following:</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 6. Gretchen's crochet design.</p> <p>A way of unlocking stillness for me was small, repetitive physical tasks that required little to no complex thought... including crochet, origami, painting, and playing the piano... also repetitive processes like painting, that is why I like painting, it is mindless and unintentional.</p> <p>I struggled with anxiety for several years and the stresses of this semester were often very difficult to handle. Participating in mindful artistic practices such as weaving a rope or crocheting were beneficial to my mental health.</p> <p>This was a difficult year.... Learning to crochet was memorable.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-17">The Critical Awareness of the Artist: Personal Data as Creative Material</hd> <p>Insights about how the critical awareness of the artist contributes to an understanding of mindfulness were evident in how students created images of their experiences. For example, student "Mallory" created visualizations in the form of an emotion wheel and several energy meters (Figure 7). As noted earlier, Mallory and many other students struggled to cope with stress and anxiety. It was evident in their art and accompanying reflections that creating these visualizations gave them opportunities for reflection and self-awareness. Students were remarkably open about their personal challenges in our individual interviews and in group discussions. In connection with our study of mindfulness practice, one student noted, "I feel more aware of my stress levels, and I know more about how to calm down/manage my stress. I recognize my senses more and when one is stronger/influencing my perceptions more than others."</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 7. Mallory's energy meter and Carol's emotion wheel.</p> <p>Data visualization can be a dynamic way to communicate and understand phenomena. Student participants in the study created images based on personal data to communicate their experiences over time and ideas about self-improvement and mental health. In our study, students also used the unexceptional aspects of life for data-inspired art. This process enabled them to ascribe greater importance to the small details of everyday life—which is one of the aims of mindfulness practice. For example, student "Carol" created a visualization of what she called "genuine conversations" as she contemplated social interaction (Figure 8). She stated, "I have noticed both the good and bad things about myself while being mindful. I see how poisonous I can be and how generous. My meditation has given me a moment to reflect on my behavior and desires" (Graham & Lewis, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref92">20</reflink>], p. 482).</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 8. A visualization of genuine conversations and breathing.</p> <p>Many students focused their investigations into mindfulness on self-improvement efforts. One student summarized her experiences during the semester as follows:</p> <p>I do not want my life to pass by as I just skirt along with it.... I focused on living the life I want to live to become the person I want to be. I cut out... social media, soda, sugar... and spent more time doing things I love that are good for my mind and body, such as going on walks, making art, writing, and meditating.... Through this mindfulness practice I have found healing I was not even aware that my mind and soul needed.</p> <p>The students' visualizations of their experiences over time reflected personal concerns, including food choices, smell patterns, spatial relationships, physical well-being, their home environments, social interactions, and emotions. "Amelia" was intrigued by the idea of incorporating data visualization into her artmaking, and she applied her newfound knowledge of mindfulness to make multiple life improvements. She also described how mindfulness exercises helped her cope with stress. She became adept at blending the exercises of mindfulness and data visualization with her own artwork.</p> <p>Near the beginning of the semester, Amelia made visual space maps that represented details of her room. Later, she morphed the mapping techniques she had developed and combined them with a contemplation on her food choices, creating transparent data-visualization pieces that represent how space and energy interact (Figure 9). Through this transformative art practice and mindful self-inquiry, Amelia connected mindfulness practices with artmaking in unanticipated ways, and her visually sophisticated work shows how artist awareness can potentially transform mindfulness practices into experience accounts and artistry (Graham & Lewis, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref93">20</reflink>]).</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 9. Amelia's mindfulness space and energy overlay maps.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-18">Mindfulness as Artmaking: Individual Investigations</hd> <p>Students concluded the semester with a personal 2-week project designed around mindfulness and art. For example, student "Sophia" concentrated her project on the outdoors. Her final artwork consisted of ink washes made from natural ingredients, with each ink wash representing one of her responses to nature (Figure 9). Sophia stated, "It is so much easier to be in the present moment when I am outside.... Spending time in nature has always been something that makes me feel more calm and happy" (Graham & Lewis, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref94">20</reflink>], p. 484).</p> <p>Amelia also found important connections between mindfulness practices, art, and nature (Figure 10). She noted the importance of spending time in nature as a way to recover attention, emotional restoration, and general well-being. Her work reflected a craftsmanship of attention to the natural world that has been associated with appreciation and sustainability (Hofsess, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref95">27</reflink>]).</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 10. Sophia's outdoor reflection and excerpt from Amelia's final project.</p> <p>Another student, "Laura," designed an abstract painting about her experiences (Figure 11). She wondered how mindfulness could lead her to make art for art and learning for learning:</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 11. Laura's painting.</p> <p>I thought a lot about what it means to be centered and present. Just when I feel like I've done it, my thoughts go racing and it's hard to bring them back in.... Thinking deeply about this concept helped me feel more at peace with not being perfect about meditation and mindfulness.... To visually express these thoughts, I created an abstracted shape-based oil painting that is loosely inspired by the spiral jetty.</p> <p>Student "Maddie" created a final painting titled <emph>How Can I Become More Comfortable With Being Still?</emph> (Figure 12), which drew connections to the mindfulness practices she developed over the course of the semester and to her own spiritual state. An important component of her process and practice was spending many hours painting, which she connected to the experience of mindfulness. "A way of unlocking stillness for me was small, repetitive physical tasks that required little to no complex thought... including crochet, origami, and painting."</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 12. Maddie's final painting: How Can I Become More Comfortable With Being Still?</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-19">Negative Attitudes Toward Mindfulness</hd> <p>A few students resisted having a personal-growth program within an educational setting, finding it difficult to develop personal mindfulness practices, and doubting the relevance of mindfulness within artmaking. However, even those with these concerns often came up with their own personal ways to engage with mindfulness practices.</p> <p>Student "Elizabeth" observed the following:</p> <p>Implementing a consistent mindfulness practice into my daily routine this semester was overwhelming and difficult. I struggled to remember to take time to meditate or be present. I often only function on high alert with stress and anxiety sweeping me along and rarely have time to relax.... Trying to force myself to take time to meditate seemed to only add to my stress. But I did want to give it a try.... Because of my mental health, implementing a highly regular meditation schedule was nearly impossible. But I did find that applying certain techniques we discussed in class was extremely helpful in bringing me out of a crash or even preventing one.</p> <p>Throughout the study, students were encouraged to question the advantages and limitations of application of mindfulness in educational settings. Each iteration of our investigation was shaped by student concerns, which serve as important counterpoints to the argument that mindfulness in school is always healthy. The challenges some students had with mindfulness practices also illustrate limitations of mindfulness as an educational intervention.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-20">Discussion and Implications</hd> <p>We interpreted connections between mindfulness and artmaking through an analysis of student artmaking, narratives about their experiences, discussions, observations, and interviews. In this study, observational drawing was redefined as a convergence of mindful practice, craft, and artmaking dispositions (Franklin, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref96">16</reflink>]; Hetland et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref97">26</reflink>]). Personal visualizations of experiences using personal data as artistic material was a particularly effective way to connect self-inquiry, mindfulness, and artmaking. Students used this technique to reflect on daily life and then translate those reflections into images. Throughout each iteration of the study, participants used data gathered from personal experiments with mindfulness as a medium to create symbolic coding connected to artistic expression. These images also provided key research insights about the intersections of artmaking and mindfulness. In the visual representations of their experiences, students often used their personal creative skills to be introspective. These artistic skills were also ways preservice teachers might connect mindfulness to art education within their own pedagogical practices. The process of gathering personal data and subsequent visualization of these experiences seemed to contribute to their understanding and practice of mindfulness.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-21">Social–Emotional Learning, Art Education, and Mindfulness</hd> <p>Many students noticed correlations between self-inquiry, mindfulness practice, and a better understanding of their own emotional patterns. For some students, learning how to cope with anxiety and depression through mindfulness was potentially life changing and valuable for their future lives as teachers. Most participants were receptive to mindfulness, particularly during in-class activities. They were also able to design their own approaches to mindfulness, artmaking, and self-management. However, it is important to recognize the potential negative consequences of using mindfulness as a superficial therapeutic approach that exceeds the professional training of the art teacher (Ecclestone & Hayes, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref98">9</reflink>]). One way to circumvent these negative outcomes is to consider mindfulness as art education rather than therapeutic intervention. As art education, mindfulness can contribute to social–emotional learning and can converge with artistic dispositions, such as developing awareness, observation, and craft.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-22">Student Resistance to Mindfulness</hd> <p>Some students were reluctant to self-monitor and take part in independent mindfulness activities outside of class. For example, one student noted that she "already had her own spiritual practices" and did not need another one. Additionally, a few students viewed the inclusion of mindfulness in school settings as a means of forcing students to have personal growth and self-monitoring skills, a notion that left them uncomfortable. Although these were outlier responses, they countered the claims that mindfulness always yields positive results. Their responses created ongoing discussions about how mindfulness practices should be part of education. These discussions influenced how we implemented mindfulness in each iteration of the study and expanded our understanding of how mindfulness could be implemented within schools. Students' negative impressions of combining mindfulness and academics suggest the necessity of critically exploring the limitations of a mindfulness curriculum.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-23">Mindfulness, Art, and Art Education</hd> <p>One question that arose during the study was how mindfulness practices could add to the students' future careers as teachers. Throughout the study, students were able to experience different forms of mindfulness and ponder the usefulness of these forms in their personal, artistic, and professional lives. Using personal data as creative material was both a form of artistic expression and a way for the researcher to understand students' experiences with mindfulness, self-inquiry, and art. One student commented, "I realized that the connection between mindfulness and artmaking was myself. Mindful art is becoming aware of the effects of artmaking on my overall state of being."</p> <p>Even though every student was affected differently by mindfulness techniques, many study participants reported enjoying the repetition of weaving and drawing, calling these activities "calming" and "satisfying." Purser ([<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref99">47</reflink>]) claimed that the brain reacts in the same manner to mindfulness techniques as it does to repetitive activities, making it difficult to measure or compare the effects of the two. It is challenging to determine whether these students were framing their weaving or drawing time as an opportunity for personal reflection and mindfulness or just as another repetitive task. However, connections between studio dispositions and mindfulness suggest possibilities of how mindfulness might function as an art educational experience. A significant observation throughout the study was that the critical awareness of the artist provided insights into the possibilities and limitations of using mindfulness in art education.</p> <hd id="AN0162355200-24">Conclusion and Implications for Future Research</hd> <p>We may think of joy as something that happens spontaneously. Few people realize that it needs to be cultivated and practiced in order to grow. Mindfulness is the continuous practice of deeply touching every moment of daily life. (Nhat Hanh, [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref100">43</reflink>], p. 15)</p> <p>This study of mindfulness and mind–body awareness took place within a methods course that included collage, painting, drawing, and various crafts. The participants created narrative accounts of their individual investigations of mindfulness within the context of their personal challenges and questions. The stressful conditions of the pandemic accentuated connections between social–emotional learning and art education (Sabol, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref101">49</reflink>]).</p> <p>Students found that mindfulness coincided with their desires to develop self-awareness, be a better version of themselves, and manage personal challenges, such as stress, anxiety, depression, or physical limitations. Students were particularly adept at using visualization of their experiences over time to connect artistry to their personal inquiries about the possibilities of mindfulness as it relates to artmaking. Connecting mindfulness to craftsmanship, attention, and experiences with nature was also an important strategy for many students. Developing a craftsmanship of attention, exploring the spiritual dimensions of artmaking, and connecting crafts and artmaking to mindfulness are concrete approaches to developing curriculum and teaching that attend to the social and emotional aspects of learning.</p> <p>Future studies of mindfulness might continue to interrogate structures in education that are potentially problematic. For example, a mindfulness intervention in school might neglect a critical examination of social or structural circumstances that need to be challenged or changed (Southern, [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref102">51</reflink>]). Mindfulness as a form of critical pedagogy needs additional exploration. Our study of mindfulness and its Buddhist roots included contemporary artists whose work touches on the numinous or spiritual aspects of art. However, there is a need for a deeper investigation of how mindfulness connects to ideas about spirituality and contemporary art in education. This project also reminded us of the practical importance of avoiding superficial appropriation of art forms, such as mandalas, without a consideration of their cultural, social, historical, and spiritual contexts.</p> <p>This study diverged from a focus on mindfulness as stress management to consider the possibilities of mindfulness as art education, a concept that has relevance to developing studio dispositions such as observation, attentiveness, and engagement with craft. Art and craft traditions might be given a richer context as moments of healing, wholeness, and a respite from screens and social media. Our study of mindfulness education suggested that the spiritual dimensions of art education have important connections to artmaking and social–emotional learning. 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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Mindfulness as Art Education, Self-Inquiry, and Artmaking
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Graham%2C+Mark+A%2E%22">Graham, Mark A.</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2521-5190">0000-0003-2521-5190</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lewis%2C+Rebecca%22">Lewis, Rebecca</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Studies+in+Art+Education%3A+A+Journal+of+Issues+and+Research+in+Art+Education%22"><i>Studies in Art Education: A Journal of Issues and Research in Art Education</i></searchLink>. 2023 64(1):75-96.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 22
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2023
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metacognition%22">Metacognition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+Education%22">Art Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Practices%22">Educational Practices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+Structure%22">Power Structure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intervention%22">Intervention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Experience%22">Educational Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Visual+Aids%22">Visual Aids</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preservice+Teachers%22">Preservice Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Education+Programs%22">Teacher Education Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Therapy%22">Therapy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Analysis%22">Comparative Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+Teachers%22">Art Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Emotional+Learning%22">Social Emotional Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Criticism%22">Criticism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Holistic+Approach%22">Holistic Approach</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+Products%22">Art Products</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+Design%22">Curriculum Design</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/00393541.2022.2154529
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0039-3541<br />2325-8039
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This article presents an overview and continuation of a study investigating how artist awareness and critical response might provide a better understanding of mindfulness and its practice within art education. While there are distinct advantages to mindfulness practices in education, these practices might also have problematic aspects, such as helping people conform to oppressive structures in education rather than questioning them. The pandemic of 2020-2021 accentuated student concerns with social, emotional, and mental health and illuminated possible benefits of mindfulness practice. Results show that preservice art education students used mindfulness and data visualization to connect art and self-inquiry. Important findings included the positive impact mindfulness practices had on students' social-emotional learning and a refined distinction between mindfulness as a therapeutic educational intervention versus mindfulness an art educational experience.
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  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2023
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1385135
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00393541.2022.2154529
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 75
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Metacognition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Art Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Practices
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Power Structure
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
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      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
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      – SubjectFull: Intervention
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Experience
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      – SubjectFull: Visual Aids
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      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
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      – SubjectFull: Preservice Teachers
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      – SubjectFull: Therapy
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      – SubjectFull: Comparative Analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Art Teachers
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      – TitleFull: Mindfulness as Art Education, Self-Inquiry, and Artmaking
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              Type: published
              Y: 2023
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0039-3541
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            – TitleFull: Studies in Art Education: A Journal of Issues and Research in Art Education
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