Nurturing Curiosity, Passion, and Collaboration: A Mini-Memoir of Academic Inspiration and Friendship in Arts-Based Educational Research

This chapter centres on my two-decade journey in arts-based educational research (ABER). It is a scholarly personal narrative focusing on the self of the scholar in order to make sense of personal experience and derive broader implications—shedding new light on larger narratives that may influence many people’s lives. Drawing on the literary arts genre of memoir writing, I recall and interpret the profound effects of working with two extraordinary scholars—Claudia Mitchell and Anastasia P. Samaras—on my academic trajectory in higher education. I aim to make aspects of my life understandable to others, contributing to their understanding of their academic motivations and paths. The chapter is inspired by the living educational theory methodology, which encourages educational researchers to assume responsibility for understanding and working with the educational influences in their learning and that of others. It highlights Claudia’s and Anastasia’s intellectual and personal qualities—curiosity, passion, collaboration—and underlines the value of critical transnational friendships and shared inspiration in forging new paths and supporting collaborative research in ABER in higher education and beyond. Overall, the chapter emphasises the importance of long-term, meaningful connections and collaborative efforts in exploring the arts’ potential to stimulate educational research and practice, and addresses significant social issues.