Laurearts

The collaging ideas below are appropriate to try at home in your own art making, or for therapists to try in-session with clients.

• Collage about your family and friends
• Collage about emotions
• Collage about recent events
• Collage about something that will happen in the future
• Create an inside/outside collage about your identity
• Collages about beliefs, hopes, dreams or goals
• Collage about all the things in your head

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Collaging, when used mindfully, can bring further benefits in the form of self-reflection.

Collaging is an effective way to identify feelings, emotions, and struggles that may lie beneath the surface. When these feelings have been covered up or pushed down, it often requires a mindful, reflective practice like art therapy to bring them back to the surface.

When collaging for self awareness, reflect on the following questions as you go:

• How does this feel?
• How has my mood changed?
• Am I uncomfortable in letting this flow?
• Is this an area in which I may want to do some more work?
• Do I feel as if my creativity must have a purpose? Must the result be perfect? How does this perfectionism and hesitancy make me feel?
• Which emotions are bubbling to the surface?
• What feelings am I experiencing right now?
• Why did I select these specific images, words, and colours?
• Does the collage tell a story about me? Does it describe my personality?
• Does this collage relate to my hopes and dreams?
• Does this collage feel most meaningful to my past, present, or future self?

⁠To find out how our art therapists can help you to breakthrough everyday resistance, restore lost meaning, rediscover your creative purpose, and shift from feeling stuck to living a life filled with emotional and creative freedom visit our website.⁠

https://Laurearts.com.au

A collage is a form of artistic expression, and, as such, there are no limits to the materials that can be used. The most common supplies used in collaging are:

• An assortment of magazines for typography and imagery
• Newspaper
• Paper, coloured paper, and scrap paper
• Fabrics and textiles
• Pencils, pastels, charcoals, markers, crayons
• Paint and paintbrushes
• Three dimensional objects
• Mementos such as tickets and calendar pages
• Buttons, ribbons
• Glue and scissors
• Paper towels, water, and a table

When collaging, you may begin collecting art materials far before the collage process begins. Individuals can allow this process of collecting materials to intuitively guide them through the art therapy process — think: why did you choose these materials? Why did they draw you in?

Follow these steps to begin the collage making process.

1. Collect scraps and mementos throughout your day — This can include anything that speaks to you, whether it be event tickets or scrap pieces of paper.

2. Set up an art space — Clear a designated work space with ample room to spread your materials as you sort through them.

3. Choose your materials — Sort through your assortment of magazines and other materials, and select images, shapes, and colours that you like. Cut to create hard edges on each piece, or tear to create soft, organic shapes and edges.

4. Pre-arrange elements — Begin by arranging the pieces on your canvas in a design. Experiment with the pattern by adjusting placements, adding or subtracting elements, rearranging, cutting, tearing, and more. Explore the many possibilities before committing to one.

5. Apply adhesive — Apply glue, mod podge, or other adhesive to the back of one piece at a time. Position it on your canvas.

6. Tack down elements — Once adhesive is applied, press down on each element to smooth and stick it to the page. Repeat this process for each piece.

7. Allow to dry — Allow the collage to dry completely to ensure your design remains in its designated form.

8. Add embellishments or found objects — Many textiles, objects, and three dimensional items can be added to the design once the base layer is tacked down.

9. Give it a title — Choose with intention, or choose something that comes to mind instantly. Follow your inspiration and reflect mindfully.

10. Note any changes in mood throughout the process — To use collaging as an art therapy technique, it is important to create mindfully.

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The therapeutic benefits of collaging and creative expression are vast. The main goal of collaging is to identify, process, and release uncomfortable emotions. This can be achieved through collaging as an art therapy technique with your art therapist, or, as an individual, by collaging mindfully for self awareness.

Individuals and clients may find benefits in the following aspects of collaging:

• As an art form for clients who may by shy, resistant, or disoriented
• To provide structure to a session
• Promoting freedom of choice and artistic expression
• Less structured materials for more flexibility
• Addressing concerns about failing, being judged, or not being in control
• For verbal enhancement, where there is difficulty talking about feelings
• To stimulate a starting point
• To gain a glimpse into an inner-world
• Images representing bigger themes occurring in one’s life
• A less intimidating entry point into creating art; no ‘talent’ required
• No expectations makes for a non-threatening creative medium
• Very diverse medium, and can be easily adapted to fit almost any situation
• Safe to use for different limitations and disabilities
• Materials are readily available
• Reducing depression, releasing repressed feelings, and resolving emotional issues
• Relieving stress and creating a sense of accomplishment

Since collaging is a calming, creative, and reflective process, many art therapists will use it as an art therapy technique. Along with many other therapeutic art activities, collaging harnesses the creative process to develop self-awareness, explore patterns of behaviour, address unresolved conflicts, and much more.

Collaging is an appealing art therapy technique to many clients. It is easily accessible to those without prior art experience, as many will find it less intimidating to gather existing pieces together than to create traditional art from scratch.

When you feel resistant to the idea of doing art, collage can be a welcome alternative while allowing you to get lost in the moment of mindful creativity.

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A collage is a global art form that has existed for centuries. It features a composition of materials and objects gathered from many sources, brought together and pasted over to form complex imagery with a theme. A collage has no rules and no limits; it is a free form of artistic expression wherein the artist brings many visual elements together as one.

The technique of collage describes the pasting of paper cut-outs onto a surface, though the term has expanded to include many materials: fabrics, textiles, mementos, three-dimensional objects, and much more.

Collage has a long history in the arts. It gained popularity in the early 20th century with artists such as Picasso and Braque making use of the art form. Today, collaging has become a welcome technique in art therapy, as it allows for active reflection through the art making process, while offering a less intimidating way to begin engaging in creativity.

Click the link below to continue reading Collaging for the release of uncomfortable emotions

https://Laurearts.com.au/collaging-for-the-release-of-uncomfortable-emotions

At LAUREARTS our art therapists leverage art therapy techniques that encourage a powerful transformative inner journey to take place in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. To learn more about our approach to online art therapy for creatives, or book a consultation, click the link below.

https://laurearts.com.au/online-counselling-service-products

Sometimes, the blank page stares back, and nothing intuitively comes to mind to spill onto the pages. When we need to ignite the creative spark, it is helpful to follow a guide until you find a point of inspiration. Below are some art journaling techniques and examples of mindfulness.

Art journaling techniques:

• Paste old photos and doodle on top
• Create a collage with magazine photos or paper scraps
• Paint or draw with your eyes closed
• Reuse old artwork in a new way
• Create a monochromatic journal entry
• Draw the same object ten times in different ways
• Fill a page with geometric shapes or patterns
• Practice calligraphy; write words that feel good to write
• Finger paint

Ideas to spark mindfulness:

• Inspiring quotes, personal mantras
• Positive affirmations
• Your next goal or reminder
• A habit you want to make or break
• Your favourite song/lyrics
• Your favourite word
• Your favourite poem
• A self-portrait
• How others see you
• What you are thankful for
• Something that makes you laugh
• Advice to your younger or future self
• Meaningful moments in your day
• A map of your favourite real or imagined place
• A mandala
• Tell a story through imagery
• A happy memory
• Your biggest fear
• Your greatest joy

Follow us on Instagram or search through our past blogs for more tips to help with self-awareness and artistic growth.

https://laurearts.com.au/blog/

Mindful art journaling goes beyond creating art just for art’s sake. In mindful art journaling, you will begin by setting an intention for the art therapy process.

This may be to reduce stress or work through a specific issue. Doing so will unlock the therapeutic benefit of the art journaling process.⁠
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Next, create a doodle or drawing that is personal and meaningful to you. Add colour methodically or intuitively, based on what speaks to you.

As you continue through the process, use art journaling for mindfulness to explore the inner self, focusing on the connection between your feelings and your creative task.⁠
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At LAUREARTS we help creative professionals of all types overcome emotional hurdles.

⁠To find out how our art therapists can help you to break through everyday resistance, restore lost meaning, rediscover your creative purpose, and shift from feeling stuck to living a life filled with emotional and creative freedom visit our website.: https://laurearts.com.au/counselling-services/