A letter

The first letter of your name or any letter can provide a lot of inspiration. This way you can get started with a collage.

Collage & writing

1. Take the first letter of your first name.
2. Search in magazines all pictures of objects / animals or actions (verbs) that start with that letter.
3. Create a collage (single or double page).
4. Look at your collage. Now write a short text on / about the collage that uses these words. Try writing a whole … or not.

“Letters and words just make up the text. But its hidden thoughts and meanings make it the best …” S. Roses S.

What if … you have a difficult first letter such as a Q or an X, or another letter that you don’t find much about? Then take the first letter of your family name or put scrabble letters in a bag and let chance decide your letter.

Inspiration received from Katrien Dejonghe

TIP: Do not try to find the images thinking about your text you’ll have to write. The fun part is to make text with random, surprising words.

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.