Creativity in phenomenological methodology

Nursing research is often concerned with lived experiences in human life using phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches. These empirical studies may use different creative expressions and art-forms to describe and enhance an embodied and personalised understanding of lived experiences. Drawing on the methodologies of van Manen, Dahlberg, Lindseth & Norberg, the aim of this paper is to argue that the increased focus on creativity and arts in research methodology is valuable to gain a deeper insight into lived experiences. We illustrate this point through examples from empirical nursing studies, and discuss how each of the above approaches allows for creative expressions and art-forms such as poetics, narratives and films, and hereby contributes to a profound understanding of patients’ experiences. This creativity generates extraordinary power to the process of understanding and it seems that creativity may support a respectful renewal of phenomenological research traditions in nursing research.