QUEEN’S BUSINESS SCHOOL ORGANISATION, WORK & LEADERSHIP (OWL) SEMINAR SERIES

Wednesday 29^th October

1pm

“From Sorrow to Joy: Visualizing the Lived Experiences of Mother-Caregivers through Art-Based Research”

Regina Casteleijn-Osorno

University of Turku

Abstract

Mother-caregiver- entrepreneurs raising children with additional needs navigate a complex intersection of caregiving, business responsibilities, and personal wellbeing. This study explores how these women experience and construct meaning around joy, resilience, and identity in their daily lives. Employing art-based research methods such as LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and Photovoice the study foregrounds participants’ own narratives, enabling a rich, visual, and reflexive examination of lived experiences. Findings highlight how creative methods illuminate the emotional labour, social negotiation, and gendered challenges inherent in caregiving and entrepreneurship, while also revealing pathways to joy and empowerment. By situating personal stories within broader theoretical frameworks of wellbeing, resilience, and feminist ethics of care, this research contributes novel insights into the hidden dynamics of mother-caregivers’ entrepreneurial lives and underscores the potential of art-based methodologies to capture nuanced human experiences often overlooked by traditional approaches.

Bio

Regina Casteleijn-Osorno is a Doctoral Researcher at Turku University, School of Economics, and a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator since 2018, regularly holding workshops in both university and private sectors. She has published research on wellbeing, resilience, motherhood, disability, and entrepreneurship in journals including Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Business Research Quarterly, and The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She is currently completing her dissertation, which explores the intersection of motherhood, caregiving, and entrepreneurship. Regina identifies as neurodivergent and is the mother of three children, two of whom are neurodivergent and additional needs. In her free time, she is fuelled by a passion for burlesque dance, roller skating, reading, baking and the musical styles of Nick Cave.

QBS Student Hub, Entrepreneurial Hub, 01.028