Creative reflection inquiry: Development of an arts-based participatory approach to understand the experiences of abortion accompaniers in Latin America

The article introduces Creative Reflection Inquiry, a novel multimodal arts-based qualitative method designed to center participant reflection and collective meaning-making. The methodology was developed to examine the lived experiences of feminist abortion accompaniers across Latin America. Abortion accompaniment is a model of care in which activists provide information and emotional support to people throughout their abortions—both self-managed and in clinical settings—across diverse legal and political contexts.

Developed collaboratively with four feminist abortion accompaniment collectives, the Creative Reflection Inquiry methodology, consisted of five weekly prompts that invited participants to respond through a diverse array of artistic expression including painting, drawing, poetry, prose, collage, photography, video, embroidery, and music. Each creative response was accompanied by a written or audio-recorded reflection explaining its meaning. Following the weekly exercises, participants took part in a focus group discussion that created space for collective sharing, dialogue, and interpretation.

This manuscript presents the methodology as well as participants’ experiences. Findings indicate that Creative Reflection Inquiry produced conditions for deep reflexivity, personal insight, and collective solidarity. Participants further described the method as fostering connection with fellow activists and reinvigorating their dedication and commitment to abortion accompaniment. Methodologically, the approach demonstrates how creativity and collective reflection can be integrated into research in ways that support both the individual and the collective, offering particular relevance for activists operating in emotionally and politically demanding contexts. By detailing the process of developing Creative Reflection Inquiry with activist-researchers and demonstrating its potential to bring meaning into the lives of participants, this article contributes to a growing body of arts-based, feminist, and participatory methodologies. The approach offers a transferable framework for activists and researchers seeking methods that center participant agency, collective reflection, and care as integral methodological principles.