Imagination, expression, magic

Hello and welcome to this event page! 🙂

These workshops are for you if you recognise yourself in the statements below:
-you enjoy being creative,
– you feel your creativity has been somewhat stifled or repressed,
– you miss being more spontaneous, silly and playful,
– you would like to express your creativity but not necessarily by learning an art technique, you’ re looking for something more lighthearted,
– you like to express yourself and you crave more freedom in expression,
– being in touch with your emotions is very important to you.

These workshops are carefully designed combining games and exercises from areas of expressive arts, movement studies and physical theatre. There is no prior knowledge needed as each triad of workshops offers different tools, games and exercises that cradle imagination, creativity and expression that’s already there within you. All of the workshops are designed so anyone can do them. The emphasis is on the process and enjoyment of it, not the result.

1.triad – January 2023: PLAYING WITH TELLING STORIES (11.1., 18.1., 25.1.)
2.triad – February 2023: PLAYING WITH DOODLING AND WORDS (8.2., 15.2., 22.2.)
3.triad – March 2023: PLAYING WITH MOVEMENT AND SOUND (8.3., 15.3., 22.3.)
4.triad – April 2023: PLAYING WITH POSSIBILITIES: the ultimate imagination expression enhancer (5.4., 12.4., 19.4.)

The common thread in all sessions will be our imagination. I believe our imagination is the most powerful creation tool there is and from that belief stems a motto which will weave through each individual weekly session – EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE and ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. 😀

This motto is there to serve us as an antidote to
– the seriousness of being a grown up,
– the seriousness of what’s happening in the world,
– the voice of our inner critic,
– the limitations of our minds, jobs, relationships, upbringing, etc., you get the idea.
This motto also creates an atmosphere of openness, softness and acceptance, allowing this online space we will share together to be one where it’s safe to share your individual expression in the way it feels right and authentic for you.
What to expect? Each triad allows you to explore a different area of creativity and expression. Each session in a triad builds on the previous one. We will begin each session with a short landing meditation and check-in circle. After that we will start with playful warm up games that will lead us to the main creative activity. We will close the session with a check out circle. Some exercises are designed to be done individually, some will be done in couples and some in a group.

If you would like to attend but are struggling with finances please write to me and we will figure something out.

My own personal experience with this work:

Playing with telling stories
I was surprised what a treasure chest of imagination lies in me after I found myself suddenly telling made up stories to a bunch of strangers in a theatre group I was going to, all with the help of theatre improvisation games. I enjoyed being challenged as things were created on the spot and in the spur of the moment and the freedom of expression that gave me. As I often struggle with anxiety the space of total acceptance that was created there made me feel super at ease.

Playing with doodling:
I encountered these kind of exercises in the field of expressive arts therapy and my expressive art studies. The way I could let myself go within the clear boundaries of an exercise made me fully embrace my need to express myself in a modality of drawing and painting – something I have done for fun and entertainment for a long time, but never in such a held and structured way. Even though I have never learned an official painting or drawing technique I was able to express whatever was present for me, while still enjoying myself fully. The playful yet held way of doing it and the fact I can have lots of personal freedom within the frame of an exercise is what I love about this modality the most.

Playing with sound and movement:
I first encountered these type of exercises after I joined an experimental street theatre group called Kud Ljud in Ljubjana, Slovenia, soon after I was kicked out of a dance academy in Austria, where I was training to be a professional dancer. This was over a decade ago now. Feeling like a total loser and completely floored by the rejection, these theatre people and their way of working with the body saved me in many ways – personally and artistically. These exercises were very different to what I was used to. They helped me to loosen up and allowed me to find new ways of expressing my being, body and mind, mostly through play and improvisation (I suffered from severe seriousness and rigidity in my body and mind from training dance). I also started to play with my voice more, something that was never really addressed or utilised in dance. We would make sounds and add movement to it, it felt so simple and yet so wholesome. It was a piece of a puzzle I was missing, not to mention it was tons of fun using my body in this way.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Nina Trebec, founder of SillySerious is a seeker and a life long learner. Gaining precious experiences as a school assistant, performer and yoga teacher she came full circle with honing on her creative aspects, finding home in expressive arts. Seasoned in working with different groups of people in different settings she loves to express herself in different ways and loves to share her love for expression with others.