Abstract
This research explores a curriculum, delivered on Zoom, that blended art education with art therapy to support educators’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand the restorative aspects of collective artmaking and reflection, I established a series of artmaking workshops for educators via Zoom. As an artist/researcher/teacher, I made collages as an arts-based inquiry method. I found that participants needed a safe place to express, create, and share in a community of others who have similar needs, desires, and experiences, a respite from the early, terrifying days of the pandemic. Meditation, blended artmaking experiences, and reflection encouraged everyone to feel less alone. Participants and I had space to acknowledge our emotional exhaustion, feel supported, and regain the energy to survive.
Rights
© The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Recommended Citation
Helmick, Linda J.
(2022)
"An exploration of restorative artmaking during COVID-19,"
International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education: Vol. 5, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/ijllae/vol5/iss1/8
Included in
Art Education Commons, Art Practice Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons