Coming Home: Developing an Ecological Identity Through Photography & Creative Writing

by Julie James

What Is A/r/tography?

A/R/Tography is a research method that uses art as data, in this case, creative writing. A/R/Tography represents artist, researcher and therapist, while -graphy points to the essential aspect of writing in this process. It recognizes that each of these identities informs how you move through the world, and it invites the integration of all these experiences into the work It begins with a focus of exploration. A question. From there, it takes on a life of its own. That is to say, like all journeys, you may have your eye set on a final destination, but you can never be entirely sure how you’ll reach that point or if you ever will. The road may wind you through corridors, only to spit you out somewhere completely unexpected. This acceptance of the unknown, this flexibility, is acknowledged as a part of the process. In fact, it’s unavoidable. In this process, I set out to explore the role expressive writing played in the development of an ecological identity and within the climate crisis.