Chang, Rosey (Monash University, Australia)
Mindfulness and the blank page: supporting creative writing doctoral candidates to explore difficult emotions that arise through creative practice
Both doctoral candidates and creative writers report that difficult emotions arise through the writing process—such as frustration, anxiety and fear of failure. It would follow that such emotions could also be experienced by creative writing doctoral candidates, since a thesis contains both creative and research components. In this paper, I argue that a mindfulness-based intervention could support this category of doctoral candidates to explore seemingly difficult emotions.
Mindfulness is “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgementally to the unfolding of experience” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 145). Mindfulness assists one to observe experiences gently. This, in turn, allows one to disengage from narrative thoughts, which might fuel emotional discomfort.
In this paper, I have investigated the question: “How does the relevant literature support the ways in which a mindfulness-based intervention might assist creative writing doctoral candidates to explore seemingly difficult emotions?”
I have examined literature across relevant knowledge fields (contemplative studies, psychology, Buddhist studies, higher education, and creative writing studies) that relate to secular mindfulness-based interventions, Zen arts, and emotions arising from arts practice.
The results indicate that Zen arts represent a long-standing tradition of mindfulness integrated within arts practice. Of recent Western proponents, I investigated Ruth Ozeki and Natalie Goldberg in creative writing, and John Daido Loori in photography. The paper concludes that through cultivating mindfulness, creative writing doctoral candidates may be able to creatively engage with difficult emotions. I include suggestions for elements in a mindfulness-based intervention, and directions for future research.
Mindfulness and the blank page: supporting creative writing doctoral candidates to explore difficult emotions that arise through creative practice
Both doctoral candidates and creative writers report that difficult emotions arise through the writing process—such as frustration, anxiety and fear of failure. It would follow that such emotions could also be experienced by creative writing doctoral candidates, since a thesis contains both creative and research components. In this paper, I argue that a mindfulness-based intervention could support this category of doctoral candidates to explore seemingly difficult emotions.
Mindfulness is “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgementally to the unfolding of experience” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 145). Mindfulness assists one to observe experiences gently. This, in turn, allows one to disengage from narrative thoughts, which might fuel emotional discomfort.
In this paper, I have investigated the question: “How does the relevant literature support the ways in which a mindfulness-based intervention might assist creative writing doctoral candidates to explore seemingly difficult emotions?”
I have examined literature across relevant knowledge fields (contemplative studies, psychology, Buddhist studies, higher education, and creative writing studies) that relate to secular mindfulness-based interventions, Zen arts, and emotions arising from arts practice.
The results indicate that Zen arts represent a long-standing tradition of mindfulness integrated within arts practice. Of recent Western proponents, I investigated Ruth Ozeki and Natalie Goldberg in creative writing, and John Daido Loori in photography. The paper concludes that through cultivating mindfulness, creative writing doctoral candidates may be able to creatively engage with difficult emotions. I include suggestions for elements in a mindfulness-based intervention, and directions for future research.