Collage Play - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

Whether you are using fabric or paper Collage can be one of the most joyful and freeing practices in the creative toolkit and is a great way to revive yourself if you are feeling off or need a pick me up.  You can get yourself moving with your supplies fairly quickly - you probably have most of them close to hand.  You will need some paper ephemera, magazines, a few paper scraps, a pair of scissors, glue and you can get so much from a session.  (If you are working with fabric then take out your fabric scraps and other supplies.  There is no pressure to create a masterpiece, or expectations for realism. Instead, let your instinct lead and have fun.

I sometimes use collage as a way to settle myself before starting my work, I will use it as a filler if I only have a limited amount of creative time, sometimes just laying paper down on my art journal is all I will have time for. I will dig out some of my handmade paper and work on a journal page.  I also have the option of being more focused and working on a specific collage piece if I have more time.

Check out the following video and see one of the ways I approach collage in my art journal.

There are some other Collage Videos for Inspiration, and you can check them out here:

Review - Fabric Art Collage - Check it out HERE 

Collage Unleashed Review - Check it out HERE

What Can you Try?

Today, explore collage and play with some of your supplies. Raid your recycling bin, pull out magazines, used envelopes, maps, or even receipts. Look for textures and shapes that intrigue you – and see how they fit together.

Once you have your pieces, begin arranging them. Don’t glue anything down right away. Instead, move them around, overlap papers and see what story might be emerging on the page.

Collage also teaches us that nothing is wasted. Every scrap has a second story to tell. You can also use the opportunity to explore visual storytelling. Create a page that feels like a dream, write between the layers, add figures you have cut out – go with the flow of the piece and see what you can combine together.  Remember to have fun and see where it takes you.  Let this page be loose and do not judge. You don’t need to explain it to anyone not even yourself.

Takeaway Nuggets:

1. Collage transforms everyday scraps into artful meaning.
2. Trusting your intuition opens up wonderful creative surprises.

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Brave Beginnings - Filling The Creative Well - Blog Series

 

Day 2: B – Brave Beginnings

Bravery in creativity doesn’t look like perfection. It is about showing up, even when you don’t feel like it, taking those small and consistent steps. Brave beginnings can look messy especially at the start, but you have to keep moving forward.  They are often the marks we make before we know what we’re creating.

Today is about beginning something new and taking that step, even if you don’t feel confident. Try and pick up a supply you have rarely used or one that is totally new to you, or that you haven't used at all.  Get comfortable in the uncomfortable.  

When you try something new doubt has a way of showing up, but that is okay.  Sometimes when we address whatever the fear might be it helps us stretch and grow in our practice, which is a vital part of the creative process.

Bravery can also be about gentleness and giving yourself permission to create without judgement or criticism.

What Can We Do?

Start your page by writing an encouraging sentence to yourself. “I am brave because .............”  Then allow yourself to create marks on the page.  

You might try scribbling or drawing with your non-dominant hand. Or closing your eyes and choosing three supplies randomly. Bravery can look like play.

Check out my Non-dominant hand painting, it was really freeing to create.

 

Over time, brave beginnings build creative resilience. The more often you start, the less precious “starting” becomes.

Takeaway Nuggets:

1. Bravery is showing up to create even when you're uncertain.
2. Every new beginning builds creative confidence and resilience.

 Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Digital Art Papers - July - Patreon

 

Here are the selection of papers for July's Digital Download on Patreon for the $3 Tier.   If you join us on the $3 Tier you will have access to all the previously posted content which spans 3 years and includes digital and video resources for your creative project.

  

We have a Free Tier and a set of papers for you to access for the month and a series of exclusive posts and videos on the tier so that you can wet your feet and see how you like it.   

Free Tier Papers 

 

$10 Tier Papers

The aim for the papers are to encourage you to do something creative with what you have and provide you with beautiful imagery that you can play around with.

$15 Tier Papers  

It is very important to find ways in which you can motivate and encourage yourself, especially in those times where you are feeling off or if you want a low energy project or even only have a short time.

The digital downloads are available on Patreon for you to enjoy, why not come and check it out and have a play with the papers.

Find out more HERE

Art Journals - Filling Your Creative Well - Blog Series

 

Art Journaling Adventures

Welcome to Day 1 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge that will be taking place for the month of July.  Over the next 31 days I am going to be sharing different ways to encourage yourself to be more creative and I will share the different ways being creative has encouraged and inspired me.  If you give them a try they may encourage and inspire you too!

Today we look at Art Journaling - which can come in a variety of forms and everyone has their own style.  Essentially art journaling is a great way to express your creative thoughts and emotions or just have a play with your art supplies. In your art journal you can add color, layers and find ways to represent how you feel on paper.

I love creating my own Art Journals and work in a variety of ways in them.  Sometimes I might not be able to articulate what is on my mind, so I start with color on the page and create a series of backgrounds.  I might also do some mark-making adding shapes and patterns, and will also use stamps and stencils.  Spending time on the activity helps relax me and enables me to process my thoughts.

In this video I share an example of art journals I created using recycled materials

Where do you start?

You are going to start from where you are.  Look at your supplies, and start there, and of course if you have a wide selection of supplies don’t try and use everything.  An example of some of the things you can use are paints, paper ephemera, magazines, markers, glue, or fabric scraps - whatever you feel like playing with. There are no rules. It is not about creating “beautiful” pages, but about making space for expression and experimentation.

Start by creating a background. You can use washes of color, collage pieces, or even scribbles. From there, follow your instinct. Perhaps a word or phrase comes to you. Maybe you draw a shape that reflects how you feel. You might choose to layer materials or textures that tell a silent story. You can also write a sentence on the page: “Today I feel…” Then start to build color, shape, or texture around that feeling. Layer over it if you want.

Art Journal Variety

Art journaling offers a daily creative check-in. Even ten minutes can help you reconnect. Your journal is a creative playground that you can tap into whenever the mood takes you.  Over time you might even get the urge to create your own journals.  Allow yourself to go with the flow and see what your needs are at the time.

Remember: your art journal is your well. You can use it to refill, restore and reflect 

Takeaway Nuggets:

1. Art journaling invites you to blend emotion, imagery, and reflection into your creative practice. 
2. There are no rules - go at your own pace!

Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .