Poiesis: finding form for experience

Aristotle spoke of three kinds of knowing:

- theoria, to know by reason and observation,

- praxis, to know by doing and practice,

- and poiesis, to know by making.

Poiesis is a central part of Expressive Arts, and I want to speak about it today.

In poiesis, we are not just taking in knowledge from external sources but shaping our understanding through making. It is a way of knowing that invites us to engage with the world through imagination, intuition, and artistic creation, as "a response to the world" (Levine, 2005).

A great example of poiesis from the design field is prototyping - expressing ideas through making as a response to business context.

Some think that Expressive Arts is about the process per se, but that's not true. Expressive Arts is not merely about expression. It's a process of finding a form for my experience, an embodied practice of meaning-making. The meaning comes from the experience, not the other way around.

Art-making is a form of inquiry. In Expressive Arts sessions regardless of the field it's applied in - whether business, education, or self-discovery: participants pose questions and engage in poiesis to shape the meaning.

A research activity for you. Choose a subject where you feel stuck or want to explore. Select a medium in which you don't have artistic skill and spend the next 15-30 minutes exploring the subject visually, through sound, movement, or nature. After the exploration, write down any thoughts that came up.

💭Share in the comments your experience of how making things helped you understand something

Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts or questions in the comments — what resonated with you, what didn't? Your input helps us grow together.

Considering trying out Expressive Arts? Reach out to me for one-on-one or group sessions.