The Creative Diary in Quarantine 13 & 14

Time

We change every day. No day is like the previous one. It is always fascinating to do an exercise over 2 days, to spread it out and see how it was today and yesterday. That is the purpose of this exercise: repeat the same thing two days in a row and see what it says, what every other day says, and what they both say next to each other.

Writing and drawing

  1. Take a double page in your notebook.
  2. Draw 3 circles on each sheet. Use a glass or a pair of compasses for this.
  3. You use the LEFT sheet on Saturday (morning). The RIGHT magazine is for Sunday (evening).
  4. In the first circle you write in a spiral. Write from the center outwards or vice versa. Feel what you like. Write about what you want to write.
  5. In the second circle you draw as in a mandala. Create a mini mandala of color, line, shape… it doesn’t have to be symmetrical like real mandalas, but if you want to, it is allowed. Which colors, lines and shapes match what you wrote or how you feel?
  6. For the third circle, find a picture that you cut out in circle with the same glass or pair of compasses OR if you want to break out of the circle, then just cut your image out and stick it in / out of the circle.
  7. Do the same the next day with the other three circles.
  8. Then look at both pages. Write a conclusion for this weekend: a kind of (positive?) note for yourself that you will take from these two days. Or write for yourself what ‘evolution’ you see between 2 days.

“One circle a day, keeps the doctor away.”

What if … you can’t write. Then make some scribbles in your circle while ‘writing down’ in your head what you want to write down.

 

TIP: You can easily repeat this exercise every day for yourself and after a week look at the overview.

Would you like to get in touch with others? In Facebook you find a page where participants connect.

 

Important to know:

Working in a Creative Diary is NOT about results, it’s about expressing you inner self. It is NOT about techniques, techniques only help you to express yourself in more different ways. The exercises I give are an INVITATION, not an obligation. You can do the exercise, or not, you can do it differently, it’s at your choosing. The most important thing to remember is that you’re putting yourself and your (inner) world on paper, you are NOT making art. So feel inspired by images, but don’t compare yourself ! Fun and self-expression come first.

What do you need?

  • markers
  • coloured pencils
  • writing materials
  • scissors
  • glue
  • watercolour
  • soft pastels
  • oil pastels
  • some magazines

And of course: a journal/diary. I recommend an 8,3 inches x 11,7 inches notebook (A4 format) with blank paper, but take whatever you find in your house. Blank papier is good too.

More information:

The exercises used in this Creative Diary are based on a method described by Lucia Capacchione, American art-therapist and author of the book The Creative Journal, by Anne-Marie Jobin, Canadian art-therapist and author of the soon to be coming book The New Creative Journal, and myself, Sarah Timmermans, Belgian art-therapist and psychologist (Dutch book: Het Creatieve Dagboek). The method blends knowledge from writing therapy, art-therapy, psychology and basic creativity. It’s a simple method that doesn’t requires any artistic skills and has been used with many ages, many individuals and many groups of people. More questions? Please write me.

Who am I?

I’m Sarah Timmermans, Belgian art-therapist, naturopath and psychologist. I’m trained by Jungian art-therapist/psychologist Csilla Kemenzcei. I work with individuals and with groups. I’m specialised in using diaries, tarot (archetypes) and dreams.