Abstract

This study begins with a look at creative blocks in the lives of creative women, and how these contribute to contemporary feminist discourses on maternal art. These discourses consider how real mothers deal with the ambivalence and contradictions of lived motherhood.
Consequently, I considered from a feminist perspective, how women have traditionally been and are still predisposed to care for others, and how this responsibility both feeds and obstructs one’s creative self.
Personal issues of identity and social roles within the context of marriage, motherhood and “daughterhood” were explored through studio-based research in the form of personal visual memoirs. Visual memoirs were inspired by photo elicitation and reflective journaling.
This study concluded with the idea that “peak experiences” during the creative process functioned not only as a form of escapism, but also served to reconnect with one’s selfhood. This study also looked at how emotional bonds are intertwined with one’s lived experience, and how all these combined contribute to personal growth and creativity.
These findings extend beyond the personal by attesting that reflecting on lived experience through memory work, photo elicitation and visual memoirs can be used as a motivational tool in art education to unblock creativity. This journey also determined that no subject is too personal or too small to not be consideredon a more global scale.