Who Am I? Examining the Evolving Identity of an Art Therapy Graduate Student

Abstract

This arts-based phenomenological study aimed to explore the evolving identity of a graduate art therapy student. This participant created a series of artwork and completed an evaluation measure called the Twenty-Statement Test for 8 weeks. This participant then engaged in a semi- structured interview with an independent reviewer to complete an interpretive phenomenological systematic analysis of the combination of artwork and the Twenty-Statement Test results to identify common themes and determine the influences of the evolving identity. The major findings of the assessment were that: 1) The combination of art making, the Twenty-Statement Test, and an interpretive phenomenological systematic analysis created a framework that facilitated the exploration of the evolving identity; 2) Different media were used by the participant weekly to answer the question, “Who Am I?” and consequently elicited different results for the descriptive section of the analysis; 3) Through the employment of this project, this researcher gained an understanding of the influences that have shaped identity development beyond those of familial, sociocultural, educational, and occupational dynamics; 4) The interpretive phenomenological systematic analysis informed five themes of evolving identity that were unique to this participant. These themes included: Diverse, not fitting in, vulnerability, structure, and personality; 5) New insights of self were established through the exploration of identity development.