Exploring Inner Landscape: An Art-Based Heuristic Study on Illustrating Somatic Narrative
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Author
Welsh, Zoe
Date
2023
Degree
Master of Arts in Art Therapy
Abstract
This study employed an art-based heuristic method to explore the metaphor of inner landscape
expressed through visual media. The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper
understanding of the impact of outwardly depicting one’s inner experience through art-making,
as well as explore the relationship between regular creative self-expression, improved strategies
of emotion regulation, and physical wellbeing. I maintained openness to new learnings that
emerged related to somatic symptom relief as it correlated to my experience with anxiety. Data
collection coincided with my own experience of pregnancy after experiencing a prior perinatal
loss. Therefore, the impact of emotion regulation on maternal perinatal mental health was also
explored. Rigorous immersion in personal experience with daily art-making alongside weekly
dialogue with a co-researcher and visual artist enabled a richer, more complete understanding of
the lived experience of inner landscape and its impact on the body and mind. The landscape
images produced during the study display opposing themes of scarcity and abundance, expressed
through environments of varying degrees of danger and safety. Corresponding dominant
emotions of fear, anger and sadness correlated to greater experience of tension and pain in the
lower extremities, experience of insomnia, and digestive upset while contrasting feelings of
gratitude, trust, and safety correlated to decreased experience of somatic disturbance and greater
levels of self-esteem. Additionally, a strong relationship between the experience shame and
physical pain was noted. These findings provide important insight into potential mental health
strategies using visual art making during the perinatal period, particularly as it may support the
experience of pregnancy after loss.