Contemplative Visual Art Making as Spiritual Practice among Individuals in Early and Middle Adulthood: A Phenomenological Inquiry

Abstract

Existing literature shows that visual art-making as a spiritual practice is more common among older adults. This study aimed to examine the experiences of individuals in early and middle adulthood who are into contemplative visual art-making as spiritual practice using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method. Twelve participants aged 31 to 58 were interviewed online. Results revealed 11 themes from three substructures constituting the overall structure of contemplative visual art-making as a spiritual practice. The first substructure is the lived experiences in visual art making consisting of four themes; the second is the forms of contemplative practice in visual art making consisting of five themes; and the third is the benefits experienced in contemplative visual art making consisting of two themes. Results underscore the value of a contemplative approach to one's visual art-making as a spiritual practice. Similar studies focusing on males, LGBT+, individuals who are self-taught in visual art making, and members of indigenous communities are recommended for further research.