This chapter critically reflects on my experience of undertaking my doctoral research and my motivation to challenge dominant methodological approaches which are situated within a largely European and North American white male academia which can unconsciously repress the female lived experience. There is a well-established history of research convention and methodological frameworks that guide the structuring of research; however, these do not always align with the researcher’s world view. This chapter demonstrates the importance of challenging academic norms and embracing new approaches such as Practice as Research (PaR) and A/r/tography to investigate and represent female perspectives. I argue that embracing the messiness of creative exploration allows for more informed research which has the potential to challenge established perspectives, allowing researchers to uncover deeper insights and generate findings which are more reflective of the diverse realities individuals experience with the potential to capture the complexities of female identity formation and the female lived experience.