Abstract

Arts-Based Research has gradually developed momentum across many disciplines. It represents a way of using the arts to facilitate and enhance processes within research and even to conduct entire research studies. It can be used within healthcare research and in research studies with participants who are vulnerable. ABR approaches use any type of arts creation processes including poetry, narrative fiction, painting, drawing, or song writing. This chapter presents three levels of ABR researcher – novice, emergent, and expert. Examples from these three levels are presented and proposals for tasks and exercises to begin ABR as a novice to this method are described. A critical awareness of the ways in which ABR exists as a stand-alone method, and also aligns with other contemporary developments in qualitative healthcare research, is presented and discussed. The choice of studies reported here reflects the author’s expertise in creative arts therapy. Providing this context and background helps new health researchers using ABR to position and expand their approach to the methods of their inquiry. Processes in choosing a method are described, with reference to multiple opportunities afforded by ABR. The chapter additionally elaborates a contemporary approach within ABR developed by the author: Creative Insight Method. This method will be presented in terms of ways of facilitating safe and collaborative arts-based processes with groups.