Thing 5: Self-reflective practice
Years ago I was introduced to Morning Pages as I explored my art through The Artists Way . Julia Cameron explains the process of writing Morning Pages as foundational to develop self-awareness in the context of a creative process and for me this process has become the cornerstone of my professional self-reflective practice. To discover and recover a dimension of your creative Self aligns with a self-reflective practice. Recalling, evaluating, and applying what you have learned from the self-reflective process is akin to developing a safe environment for reflection, defining your own power, integrity, and identity, claiming your possibilities, establishing connections (socially or consequential, etc.), forging strengths, and defining actions you will take in the future.
At the WILU 2011 conference at the University of Regina, Robin Sakowski presented a powerful case in support of developing a self-reflective practice to include:
- personal writing (journaling, one-minute reflection, etc.)
- critical reflection on produced work (handouts, presentations, blogging, etc.)
- focused reflection on assessment from various feedback instruments (peer-reviews, surveys, etc.)
- exploration of philosophies of practice, theory, research, and readings
See her presentation here.
The greatest barrier to developing a consistent self-reflective practice is dedicating the time and committing to the practice. There is no easy way to overcome this barrier. I’ve had to schedule time for this practice whether it is first thing in the morning or while I sit in the shade of a tree at lunch time.
My practice has been evolving for over 20 years and I expect it to continue for many more. When I review my journals from years ago, I am embarrassed at times, laugh out loud at the absurd statements I wrote, or weep at the results of a wicked constellation of events that confounded my professional development. I can see the trail of development and identify the troughs into which I have careened, and the path to corrective, positive action I can take.
The practice continues.
