Aesthetic action and self-construction of an artist identity: The impact of art and art therapy on subjectivity and mental illness in qualitative research

The purpose of this study was to discover whether and how a studio practice of art, which included theories from aesthetics, human science philosophy and humanistic psychology, could affect positive change to individuals' sense of self-identity (who have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness). Change was sought by investigating whether the development of an artist identity could reduce symptoms and expose damaging narratives based on a psychopathological paradigm.;Ten psychiatric patients participated as co-researchers in this mixed methods qualitative study, which was comprised of Participatory Action Research (PAR), Art Based Research (ABR) and Narrative Inquiry. Art was made in an Open Studio during twelve sessions and a selection of the work was exhibited in a gallery.;Research to date in art therapy has focused on a broad range of subjects and methodological approaches. However a review of the literature revealed no studies using aesthetics and philosophy related to the development of an artist identity and a new narrative identity, through a Studio and Gallery model of art therapy. The researcher used mixed qualitative methods including theory and action to work collaboratively in the studio (PAR), ABR to ensure the central focus on the visual art, and narrative analysis of the semi-structured interviews, to gather the experiences of the co-researchers on transforming effects of making art. The co-researchers' experiences were articulated in each method related to self-identity, life challenges resulting from mental illness and the properties of art. The common themes identified included: a) new sense of self (artistic sensibility, artist identity and new perceptions); b) art is healing and transformative; c) studio as a community; d) feeling happiness; e) a decrease in symptoms.;The study results indicate that making art in the studio can promote an artist identity, with the formation of a new sense of self and the discovery of new empowering self-narratives. The healing effects of art led to the decrease of symptoms and reliance on negative self-experience derived from psychiatric narratives.