Artmaking in Grief and Healing: An Arts-Based Autoethnographic Study

The experience of grief after loss is as unique as the individual who is grieving. This study explores the intersections of art and healing through the lens of one art educator’s personal journey in grief. Arts-based inquiry is conducted by the art educator through the creation of a series of grief-related artworks and an analysis of their impact on the healing process. A visual process journal is used as a planning, reflection, and data gathering tool. The study identifies the mechanisms of healing at work throughout the process of creating the series and the implications for art educators and their students. This study aims to uncover and uplift the benefits of artmaking as a vehicle for coping with and healing from personal loss, in addition to promoting general well-being.