An Art-Based Narrative Inquiry into a Middle-Aged woman’s Experience in Exploring Self-Identity

In this study, the experience and meaning of a middle-aged woman’s self-identity search were explored in a narrative based on art. The participant of this study, Kim Min-seo (pseudonym), is a woman in her 50s. The researcher and the participant conducted a total of 10 sessions from July 26, 2022, to September 27, 2022, followed by two additional interviews 9 months later. To explore the meaning of the participant’s experiences of self-identity, formed throughout her life, the researcher employed various artistic media and techniques such as clay modeling for emotional expression, drawing family figures, writing poetry, collage-making, and reading fairy tales. Through these sensory, perceptual, cognitive, and symbolic methods, the participant was encouraged to express her life story, and the researcher engaged in discussions with the participant centered around her artistic creations. Based on the verbatim transcripts of all conversations, photographs of the participant’s artistic creations, and the researcher’s journal, a narrative of the participant’s self-identity exploration experience was constructed within a three-dimensional narrative inquiry space. The meaning of the participant’s experiences was then analyzed through this process. As a result, the meaning of the participant’s self-identity exploration experience was constructed as follows: 1. Catharsis through opening up about childhood experiences of abuse. 2. Confession and reflection on guilt related to child abuse. 3. Understanding of interpersonal conflict caused by the lack of nurturing care. 4. Discovery of a new identity for the wounded inner child. Through the relational inquiry space facilitated by her artistic creations, the participant was able to unravel various self-identity narratives embedded in her experiences of both victimhood and perpetration of abuse within the family, as well as her current interpersonal conflicts. In doing so, she discovered the symbol of a “fully bloomed yellow flower,” representing a beautiful and confident version of herself.