Reflexivity vs Narcissism: Autoethnography as a research method.
'These are just things I say, they are not my opinions' Josephine Pryde

life collage 

Making a mark, making YOUR mark... that is what this life is all about isn't it...researching or searching for an original creative ideation?

I am an artist and a teacher. Teaching is creativity and teaching in my opinion is, by definition, auto-ethnography. In order to impart some aspect of your knowledge to others, you give away something of and about yourself. Subconsciously 'marking one's territory', on one level attempting to inspire without prejudice, but conversely, tenuously allowing personal experience and presupposition within your psyche to infiltrate any ideas and concepts shared because one is human not machine. 

All life experiences taint, influence or colour one's views however objective a person purports to be.  Is perhaps Subjectivity the new Narcissism and Reflexivity and Autoethnography concepts too similar to deconstruct? 

http://www.arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/josephine-pryde

This initial 'Research Module' lecture was given by Alex Franklin and my views on the given title are described above. Alex was forceful, passionate and yet self deprecating. Her inspired 'Umbridge' account of family life in rural Hertfordshire made her appear more human and less academic professor. Alex' lecture on the comparisons between 'Ethnography, Autoethnography, Narcissism et al' caused me to dig deep, unravelling thoughts about words and concepts I had not considered because they were alien to me and generally I'm thinking of unicorns and magic. Therefore I may have the attention span of a boiled egg but I am intrigued and using aspects of 'Autoethonography'  as a creative research tool may be advantageous and the way forward for a shallow, sparkly unicorn lover like me. 

Abracadabra. Watch this space (if you have 3 minutes to spare)! 

my favourite unicorn