Abstract
This paper explores how academics individually and collectively reflect on their wellbeing using arts-based approaches to support wellbeing literacy development in professional contexts. Eleven academics from an Australian university engaged in a two-day off-campus retreat using collage as an arts-based inquiry method. Participants created visual representations of their past, present, and future academic experiences, followed by reflective dialogue. Data were analysed using thematic inductive analysis. Three key themes emerged: arts-based approaches facilitated deep reflection through metaphorical thinking; academics’ wellbeing trajectories revealed evolution from past confusion toward more intentional futures; and collective reflection fostered shared wellbeing literacy development. The process illuminated multiple PERMAH dimensions, particularly relationships, meaning, and health. This study demonstrates how arts-based reflection functions simultaneously as professional development and wellbeing practice, developing critical wellbeing literacy that can help embed wellbeing as a core component of academic practice rather than an optional add-on.
Keywords
Academics, arts-based inquiry, collage, PERMAH, reflection, wellbeing
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
Reflective Practice
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Education / Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) / School of Arts and Humanities
RAS ID
84445
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Content Type
Full object
Recommended Citation
James, R., Gray, C. C., Goopy, J., Clayden, D., Meng, H., Lemon, N., Tytler, C., Sanbrook, C., Ghosh, M., Brooks, M., & Selkrig, M. (2026). The joy of art-based reflection: Building shared academic wellbeing literacy through collage. Reflective Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2025.2607104
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in REFLECTIVE PRACTICE on 20th January 2026, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14623943.2025.2607104
James, R., Gray, C. C., Goopy, J., Clayden, D., Meng, H., Lemon, N., Tytler, C., Sanbrook, C., Ghosh, M., Brooks, M., & Selkrig, M. (2026). The joy of art-based reflection: Building shared academic wellbeing literacy through collage. Reflective Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2025.2607104