Abstract
This Project is an Alternative Culminating Experience for a Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum and Instruction with an Elective Emphasis on Arts in Education. It follows Pathway I: Artist as Educator. This project examines the question, "Where does artistic inspiration come from and what promotes or inhibits it?" By studying her own artistic practices in depth and reflecting on her findings, the author discovered what blocked her creativity and which practices promoted artistic production in order to create personally meaningful artwork. The author explored this question and documented her creative work using a narrative research approach. She studied her own creative process by reading relevant literature, interviewing other artists, making and critiquing collage artwork, attending v painting workshops, and keeping a detailed journal. Understanding the sources of creative inspiration is one key to the success of students of art at school. Knowing what types of art experiences promote creative freedom and confidence will enhance a teacher's ability to bring meaning to art making in the classroom. This knowledge will not only promote the production of student artwork, but also will transfer to other creative problem solving situations, and will become a tool for students to lead productive and satisfying lives.