Studying and Researching as Multimodal Inquiry

Prompt:

“A researcher surrounded by books and notebooks, their writing leaving glowing trails of interconnected ideas, fragments of handwritten notes floating in the air, and a swirling collage of past and present knowledge forming around them in an artistic, dynamic flow.”

Studying & Research (Movement + Sound + Visual Mapping)

• Movement: Body posture, note-taking gestures, and pacing around the room embody cognitive engagement.

• Sound: Pen-on-paper, typing on a keyboard, and the ambient hum of a study space create an aural backdrop.

• Visual Mapping: Concept maps, annotations, and color-coding facilitate a dynamic, image-based approach to knowledge.

Research Problem:

Traditional research methodologies prioritize structured, linear knowledge production, yet expressive arts therapy and embodied research reveal that knowledge is intermodal, nonlinear, and deeply sensory. Expressive arts methodologies can transform knowledge generation, documentation, and visualization.

Research Questions:

• How does the process of researching, writing, and mapping knowledge function as an intermodal, embodied creative practice?

• In what ways can expressive arts researchers integrate visual, spatial, performative, and material elements into the research process itself?

What are your/my numinous particulars?

Research is an experiential activity

 Practice, Practice, Practice . . .