Pop-up

Pop-up art is when you ‘jump’ out of your diary by cutting or folding a shape. Pop-up is quite an art. Google it. Sometimes you will find impressive examples, but it can also remain simple.

Writing, drawing and collage

1. This is a 3 day exercise, especially for Spring and the month of May.
2. Take a separate A4 sheet (computer paper is good, thicker paper is even better).
3. Fold that sheet into 3 (like a letter, see first photo).
4. Cut the top and bottom. Make them oval so that you have the shape of an egg. Unfold your egg: you have tied 3 eggs together.
5. You work in one egg per day for 3 days. Use the 3 techniques from the diary and feel which you want to use: writing, drawing or collage. Feel what you want to say in that egg for the day and how you want to say it.
6. At the end you can glue the egg in your diary and decorate the outside and write / add a conclusion.

“If an egg is broken by outside force, life ends, if broken by inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from inside.” 

What if … you don’t understand how to cut the pop-up egg? Then just cut out 3 eggs in paper and stick them one by one in your diary afterwards.

TIP: Are you doing the exercise in the morning? Then you can set an intention for the day in writing, drawing and collage. Do you do the exercise at the end of the day? Then the egg can be a conclusion of your day.

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.