Wellbeing: Creative Journaling (Aut22)

An opportunity to unlock your creative potential by exploring different creative medias along the journey. You will be learning simple mindfulness techniques that can be adapted into your everyday life and enhance your well-being.

Tutor: Louise Anderson

Creative Journaling is an opportunity to unlock your creative potential by exploring different creative medias along the journey. There will be an element of the introduction to mindfulness which is a way of creating a greater awareness and understanding of being in the moment, by gently observing through different creative exercises and activities. Drawing and painting mindfully is done by focusing your full attention on what you are doing. Learn simple mindfulness techniques that can be adapted into your everyday life and enhance your well-being. This course is open to all, whether you are an absolute beginner or just want to help develop your practice.

Switch your phones off, learn to be in the moment, breath and let your creative juices flow.

Each block is designed as a standalone, if you start on block two, there will be new activities to explore.

What you will learn
– How to use art journaling as a tool to your creativity.
– Simple mindfulness techniques.
– Each session will provide different techniques and tools to help support the creative process. Introducing drawing skills using different medias
– Additional reading will be provided between each session.

Structure
BLOCK 1
Week 1: Back to Basics – Introduction to the power of being in the moment, the practice of gratitude and meditation by exploring simple mark making. Leaning to using daily journaling as a tool to open your creativity.
Week 2: Visualization Board – Developing a visualisation board. Exploring the use of mixed media, collage, drawing techniques.
Week 3: Getting in touch with our senses – Being in nature and the power of observation.
Week 4: Bringing it all together – Final project for this block – create a larger piece of work from techniques taught over the past few weeks.

BLOCK 2
Week 1: The Power of Colour – Exploring colour and how it can impact on our moods. Using colour in your creative process.
Week 2: Mark making – Still life and use of different drawing techniques using mixed media, charcoals, pastels, graphite pencils
Week 3: Let it flow – An opportunity to be playful with inks, creating abstract images. Use of different techniques exploring inks and watercolour paper
Week 4: Bringing it all together – Final project for this block – create a larger piece of work from techniques taught over the past few weeks.

Materials List

Materials List for your creative toolbox
A4 or A3 cartridge hardback sketchbook, collection of drawing pencils (HB, 2B, 6B), eraser, willow charcoal, ruler, glue, scissors, masking tape, watercolour paints, brushes suitable for watercolour. A selection of coloured media which could include charcoals, pastels, and felt pens. Black Indian Drawing Ink and any other colours you may like.

Starts: 28 September, 4 weeks (£70) & 2 November, 4 weeks (£70)