Donna Frost

Chapter 3 76 Their theoretical underpinnings, relationships with my philosophical assumptions and the critical creativity investigative framework are elaborated, and the particular practical challenges they each presented for the study methods are described. The four methodological principles underlying CCCI are these: collaborative, iterative investigation of a phenomenon; explicit valuing and use of diverse forms of knowledge and ways of knowing; creating conditions for human flourishing both within the inquiry groups and for those on the periphery of the study; valuing and using both critical and creative processes and ways of being. Collaborative, iterative investigation The choice for collaborative, iterative investigation matches both the topic of investigation and my values of conducting research which benefits those involved. A methodological setting off point was therefore Heron’s ( 1996 ; Heron & Reason, 2001 ) co-operative inquiry: people forming groupswith the intent to inquire together into a phenomenon or area of their practice or lifewhich puzzles them and/or about which they would like to know more, to understand more deeply and thoroughly. Within this research the phenomenon was professional artistry and its facilitation as it occurred within professional nursing practice and within my facilitation practice. Within collaborative inquiry generally, and also within this research, there is an emphasis on working cyclically and hermeneutically; alternating periods of critical dialogue and group reflection with periods of individual action and reflection as professional and researcher (Heron, 1996 , 1999 ). It is assumed that the group will generate more knowledge, and knowledge of a different kind, than individuals would on their own (Heron & Reason, 2008 ; Rumbold, Allen, Alexander & van Laar, 2008 ) and that this knowledge, although highly contextualized, is useful outside the context of the co-operative inquiry (eg. Jenkins, 2007 ; Yorks et al., 2008 ; Ness & Strong, 2013 ; Traeger & Norgate, 2015 ; Kong, 2016 ; Napan et al., 2018 ). Both the cyclical working and the group processes involved require active, skilled and sensitive facilitation (Heron, 1996 ; Heron & Reason, 2001 ; Titchen & Manley, 2007 ; Mackewn, 2008 ). Two of the eight facilitation principles described within critical creativity (Titchen & McCormack, 2010 ) are of particular relevance here: ‘spiralling through turbulence’ (p. 539 ) and ‘flowing with turbulence’ (p. 542 ). Periods of uncertainty, emotional, spiritual and creative challenges and perhaps even crisis within a group can be expected in the course of working together, particularly when considering questions of meaning and meaning making, and pushing at the boundaries of what the group and individuals within it know. The rich