Navigating Complex Emotions: Concept Mapping as Practices for Art Educators’ Well-Being and Self-Care

In this article, a much-needed spotlight introduces data visualization art practices for educators’ well-being. Just as social emotional needs and learning for students are emphasized in art classrooms, it is equally important to focus on art educators’ own emotional well-being and leverage art as a trauma-informed means to address their vulnerabilities. The intention is to provide examples of changes in respect to how mapping, through data visualization, has evolved to be more versatile and to address abstract concepts such as deeply felt emotions. Based on the two authors’ individual journeys, exploring their emotions, two distinct methods of data visualization are presented, emphasizing empowerment and self-care. These visual representations unveil intimate processes of cultivating awareness of the emotional needs of art educators and underscore the potential of data visualization being a transformative and creative process for self-care.