Draw, Reflect, Write
Introduction
Reflective practice in your professional life is one of those activities that seems like a worthy pursuit. Indeed, research demonstrates the developmental value of structured reflection as a part of learning or training interventions. Similarly, reflective practice has been shown to improve self-awareness and engagement within work-related coaching sessions [1, 2].
However, like many things that are theoretically a good idea - the practical details can be a little fuzzy. Sometimes, it can even feel like extra work when you’re already overwhelmed. If you were to search for options on ‘how to engage in reflective practice’, the starting point of words-on-paper may not offer the exploration you'd hoped for. Luckily, arts-based research offers an alternative way to do this.
This approach seeks expression for the experiences of individuals who may struggle to put things into words. Sometimes the struggle happens if thoughts and expressions have been oppressed in certain environments. Often for women, an certain amount of energy is required and devoted to presenting oneself in a restricted way to achieve professional validation, promotion, or perhaps to reduce discrimination.[3] This restriction may be released more effectively with an arts-based reflective practice.
The DWR Method
The Draw, Write, and Reflect method was originally developed to study career progression in Australian female academics [3, 4]. In its original form, respondents first drew their response to a reflection question written by the researchers. Then, the respondents reflected on their image along with the researcher as a way to develop a more accurate interpretation. If that didn't provide enough information, the researcher asked additional questions.
Because this is not a study, let's instead consider how to use the original approach as an inspiration for something more suited for self-directed reflection.
A Modified Method
Step 1: Write a reflection question.
Step 2: Sketch out an image. (Resist and reject the temptation to evaluate your image!)
Step 3: Read the question again and reflect upon your image. What's coming up for you?
Step 4: Write what has come up for you during the process.
If you are trying to make a comparison, you might draw two images and use the differences to inform your reflections.
Although reflective practice can be focused on serious themes, the drawings can be simple or even silly if it helps. Consider this example:
Reflection Question:
What demands are on you in your work life these days?
Drawing Prompt:
Draw two pictures. One is your work life imaged as the Very Hungry Caterpillar. The other image is of your fridge. What does the Very Hungry Work Caterpillar want? What does the fridge have?
Post-drawing Revisit:
What are the demands on you at work these days? Do you have enough resources to meet them? What's missing? Do you have too much of something? How might you go about stocking your 'fridge' differently?
Final thoughts
Reflective practice is a useful way to gain a better understanding of yourself as you engage in professional development. Sometimes traditional approaches are less effective in bringing up aspects you otherwise make an understandable effort to suppress. Using visuals as a starting point might result in something surfacing or might simply lighten the practice. Either way, give it a go. After all, isn’t that why we love art? It tends to offer a different perspective.
Works Cited
[1] Bell, B. S., Tannenbaum, S. I., Ford, J. K., Noe, R. A., & Kraiger, K. (2017). 100 years of training and development research: What we know and where we should go. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 305–323. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000142
[2] Filleti, P., & Jones, R. (2025). Can group coaching support the career advancement of women? CentAUR (University of Reading). https://doi.org/10.24384/vw8w-cn63
[3] Franken, E., Sharafizad, F., & Brown, K. (2023). Gender, vulnerabilities, and how the other becomes the otherer in academia. Gender Work and Organization, 31(4), 1342–1365. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.13096
[4] Sharafizad, Fleur, Kerry Brown, Uma Jogulu, and Maryam Omari. 2020. Letting a Picture Speak a Thousand Words: Arts-Based Research in a Study of the Careers of Female Academics. Sociological Methods & Research. 0049124120926206.