Donna Frost

Chapter 7 216 A milestone represented to us a place where it became evident, or where we noted, that understanding was expanded in a holistic sense. Such a perspective transformation is both cognitive and bodily and involves the senses and the spirit. Looking back we could see that our view of the world, of self and of self in the world and in relation had changed a little, when reaching such a milestone. Three milestones or moments of perspective transformation that were important in all our journeys are these: 1. Recognising the professional artistry and the potential for professional artistry in our own practice 2. Embodying critical and creative critique 3. Being intentional about exercising our professional artistry ‘muscles’ S These milestones are presented here and described below in a steps-wise fashion, indicating that 1 is necessary for 2 and 2 is necessary for 3 . This is in some ways a simplification of reality. For example, learning how to make the invisible visible was a strategy which helped with identifying the potential for professional artistry in our practice, suggesting perhaps that ‘ 2 ’ comes before ‘ 1 ’. Using a particular work form or strategy in this way, however, was different from the perspective transformation that happened when the light went on and the ‘unseen’ world burst into colour that could never again be ‘unseen’. In that respect these milestones do build on each other in a step by step fashion. The journeymetaphor is also helpful in understanding the nature of the obstacles or hurdles we faced along the way. The particular challenges we faced as individuals tended to recur, either for the same individual or for someone else in the inquiry. We became experienced in helping each other around, over or through the challenges of the journey and became better able to identify what it was that we found helpful and the kinds of circumstances in which such a hurdle or challenge was likely to occur. Such challenges did shape our journey, to a certain extent, influencing the path we eventually took, the kinds of facilitation strategies we developed together, and the more supportive circumstances we worked to create. The aspects of professional practice which we experienced as either challenging or supportive are these: the culture within which the professional works, the professional’s own understanding of her own expertise particularly when in transition, the availability of professional support, the focus of professional development activities and the assumptions and convictions of the professional herself. The specific challenges and the more supportive alternatives we worked towards are presented later in the chapter. Attention turns now to explicating the milestones along the way.