Published
11-2-2026
Type of Work
Presentation (Seminar, forum, etc)
Graduate Seminar presentation
Abstract
This presentation examines a new methodological approach by introducing shimmer as an embodied epistemological state that frequently appears within creative-practice research but is rarely named, scaffolded, or assessed. Emerging at the intersection of feminist philosophy, phenomenology, affect theory, reflective practice, and practice-led research, shimmer describes the moment when insight coheres somatically before it can be articulated conceptually. Rather than positioning intuition as unrigorous or accidental, shimmer reframes embodied emergence as a legitimate site of knowledge production. The paper situates shimmer in relation to existing frameworks such as flow, reflective practice, and action research, identifying a persistent gap in the literature around the ignition point of insight. Shimmer is proposed as epistemological in origin and methodological by use, offering students and educators a shared language for recognising, trusting, and documenting non-linear creative processes within postgraduate study.
Citation
Montgomery, L. (2026) Shimmer Methodology: A Workshop for Postgraduate Students