Abstract

Burnout among art teachers has become a significant concern, marked by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment. This thesis explores innovative strategies to prevent burnout and rekindle passion for art among educators by integrating heuristics, poetry, photography, and mindfulness into their daily practices. Utilizing a heuristic methodology, the study emphasizes self-inquiry and discovery, offering art educators a structured yet flexible approach to navigate professional challenges. The research draws on Julia Cameron's principles from The Artist's Way and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of "flow" to foster creative resilience and optimal engagement. Additionally, it incorporates insights from Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Ellen Langer's mindful learning framework to enhance emotional regulation and well-being. Through a studio-based approach, this study documents the experiences of the researcher-participant, highlighting effective methods for integrating small artistic habits and mindfulness practices into daily routines. The findings aim to provide actionable strategies for sustaining artistic engagement and well-being, ultimately contributing to the discourse on teacher retention and the development of supportive educational environments.
Keywords: Burnout; Art teachers; Mindfulness; Creative resilience; Teacher retention