The Experience of Flow in Artistic Expression: Case Studies of Immigrant Korean Children with Adjustment Difficulties

The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to explore how school-aged immigrant Korean children, identified as children with immigration and transition difficulties, enter the flow experience and how it is sustained throughout one-on-one art-making activities. Specifically, this study explored the role of imagination in facilitating flow in their artistic process. The impact of having optimal artistic experiences on their artistic learning and their ability to cope with immigration-related difficulties were also investigated. This study used Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory to explain the phenomenon of these young immigrant children's engaged art-making experiences and to analyze his conception of the balance between challenge and skill. Data were collected from retrospective video-stimulated interviews with eight immigrant Korean children immediately after their art-making sessions as well as from interviews with their parents and with after-school art teachers. Participant observation and document- and art-work analysis were also included as data collection methods. Close examination of the collected data suggests that flow was facilitated when the participants initiated an imaginative mode of engagement with the art materials. Their reciprocal engagements with the researcher-participant also contributed to the emergence of flow. These engagements were found to be personally meaningful to each individual. The most significant finding was the critical role of imagination in sustaining optimal artistic experiences. Imaginative story-making and story-telling about the created art works led the participants to a deeper level of engagement. Such involvement linked to intense enjoyment driven by learning because the participants set challenging goals and developed skills to meet those challenges. Another finding was that the one-on-one art-making session also functioned as a window to understand their home and school lives, especially in terms of their immigration and transition struggles; the flow that emerged in the artistic learning environment empowered the participants to escape their boredom, anxiety, and loneliness. Ultimately, this study suggests possibilities for creating a safe learning environment where art materials are accessible and reciprocal interactions are possible between teachers and learners, in order to enrich these young immigrants' artistic learning and growth.