KAREN STAMPER · SIGNATURE COURSE
When did you last open your sketchbook and actually enjoy it?
Free Up Your Sketchbook and Grow is six weeks of mixed media, mark making, and creative play, designed to quieten the inner critic and remind you why you loved making art in the first place.
Registration for the September 2026 course has now closed, but please feel free to add your name to the waitlist to receive news of offers for next year's course.
Course opens once a year
The next course will be September 2027
Aimed at all levels
Self-paced · 1 year access
Please add me to next year's waitlist
Add your name to the waitlist to receive news about next year's course, including discount offers
WHO IS THIS FOR
You don't need to be "good at art."
You just need to want to create.
Is this you?
"I found my joy."
— Alex, Free Up student, 2025
THE TRANSFORMATION
It's not about drawing better.
It's about feeling free again.
This course won't teach you rules.
It will help you break them, gently, joyfully, one page at a time.
"I couldn't make a mess. I just couldn't. And I've learned to. That's the biggest breakthrough I've had."
— Seena, Free Up student, 2025
"This year, I don't care. I just feel this amazing sense of freedom."
— Jacki, returning student, Free Up 2025
WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE
Six weeks. One page at a time.
Week 1 - Let go
Free marks, new marks, happy accidents. You'll start to see that the "mistakes" are often the best bits.
Creative benefit: freedom, working in the unknown
Week 2 - Build
Found papers, rubbings, tissue, collage. Confidence quietly builds, page by page.
Creative benefit: growing confidence, no pressure
Week 3 - Paint without fear
Acrylics, limited colours, no rules. You'll wonder why you were ever afraid of paint.
Creative benefit: playful, not afraid of painting
Week 4 - Bring it together
Ink washes, photographs, images embedded into layers. This is where things get exciting.
Creative benefit: experiment, see what happens
Week 5 - Pause and look
We stop, reflect, and look at your work with fresh eyes. A moment to breathe and to plan.
Creative benefit: pause, reflect, plan
Week 6 - Keep going
Scale up. Simplify. Push further. This isn't the end of something, it's the beginning.
Creative benefit: momentum, personal development
WHAT'S INCLUDED
It is like six creative weekends, all from your own home.
90+ short videos
5-10 mins each, watch at your own pace
3 live Zoom sessions
Connect, ask questions, stay inspired
Weekly artist interviews
UK, US and Australia
Private community
Share your progress, stay motivated
1 year access
No rush, no pressure
Bonus: make your own sketchbook
With Ali Manning, Vintage Page Designs
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
It changes how they see their art and themselves.
Who is Karen Stamper?
Karen is a UK based artist and teacher who helps people break free from creative blocks and fall in love with their sketchbooks. She loves collecting inspiration from her travels in her concertina sketchbooks.
She has taught thousands of students through in-person workshops, art holidays and online classes to play with collage, and enjoy the process even if they don’t feel “good at art”.
Her approach is simple: no pressure, no perfection, just joyful, expressive sketchbooks.
Returning student?
If you've joined Free Up before, keep an eye on your inbox!
You'll be receiving a special alumni discount by email.
Use that link to enrol at your exclusive rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have access to the course?
How will the course content be delivered?
What materials will I need?
What this course is not
How much does it cost? What if I am unhappy with my purchase?
Do I need to be able to draw?
I have done some of your courses, will this build on what I have learnt so far?
Please add me to next year's waitlist
Add your name to the waitlist to receive news about next year's course, including discount offers
