Creating Queer Epistemologies and Embodied Knowledge Through Narrative and Arts-Based Research

Abstract

Queer people historically shared personal and queer tales, recounted stories of queer joy to maintain hope, and whispered warnings through anecdotes of hardship. Further, queer artists contributed to the shaping of social trends and values through their creations. In this article, we explore how blending the practices of storytelling and artmaking can provide a powerful way to conduct research, co-construct knowledge, and sit within complex epistemological spaces with queer participants. We provide brief descriptions and reflections of our experiences conducting scholarship through the combination of narrative inquiry and arts-based research as queer researchers working with queer participants. Ultimately, we argue that combining these methods allows us to access new, deeper meanings alongside our queer participants.