Making as Knowing: Poiesis as a Response to the World

The transformative power of expressive arts lies not in the finished artwork, but in the act of creation itself. This generative process—poiesis, from the ancient Greek meaning “to make” or “to create”—reveals making as a profound way of knowing and a vital response to life (Levine, 2005).

Photo credit: Jay Yang

In poiesis, knowledge is not passively absorbed but actively shaped through the act of making. Expressive arts thus becomes more than self-expression; it is the giving of form to experience—an embodied act of meaning-making. Here, meaning emerges from the process, rather than being predetermined or imposed.

This becomes especially vital for those facing displacement or profound life transitions, such as migration. In such moments, integrating past and present or finding coherence may feel fragmented, even impossible. Poiesis opens a space where coherence can begin to take shape, new possibilities can be imagined, and agency in shaping one’s own narrative can be reclaimed.