taking it in, piecing it together, taking it apart
a process for navigating life and emotional landscapes
This is a continuation from Collage is a Feeling with context and info about my process ~ I made one large collage then cut it into smaller pieces ~
When I start a piece of collage art I want the process and the materials to lead the way, no forcing the outcome. It’s therapy and an examination of what is true for me. True in the sense of quieting my inner monologue and getting to what really needs/deserves attention with respect to my mental health.
Quieting the chatter.
It’s a lesson of learning to trust the process & also myself. A reminder that I have what I need to make it through. Taking that mindset into my art by using what I have on hand in my studio, helps me reinforce the idea, to then keep weaving it back into my daily life.
An intuitive approach. Less forcing, less fighting. Acceptance.
My process begins with a pile of papers that I curate from my stash of materials. There is something about sorting and organizing the papers into a color palette that feels like I am making sense of things. There is also a hint of control by grouping and deciding what materials to use, but I do enjoy the eventual letting go and unfolding of the creative practice.
From the handpicked pile I choose a piece to start with and just glue it down, no hesitations. The rest flows from there as I scan the colors and shapes, and seek emphasis, balance or contrast. Each element I add plays off what is already glued down, and sections often get covered up in the process. It’s mostly impromptu decisions, but my graphic designer brain has the urge to analyze the composition, so if I catch myself overthinking it I’ll rotate the art around and work from a different view.
Here is the paper collage on 7" x 10" mixed media paper I made recently and mentioned in Collage is a Feeling ~
& here are the 2 collages that resulted after I cropped in and cut the larger piece down ~
Once I have a finished piece I sit with it and find meaning, look for insights and evaluate any emotions it spurs. What is my subconscious saying? Being very literal is often a good place to start. In the case of these 2 – one has an airplane and the other has corn. From there I think what does an airplane mean to me or what does corn signify. If nothing really comes to me at first I just start typing words into the thesaurus, like a word association game! After themes or ideas come together I settle on a title.
When I look at this piece:
I see corn and think of monocultures and a lack of diversity. The distorted and obscured text suggest confusion and misunderstanding. The rust colors and textures hint at things breaking down.
Summing this all up in my head turns into a heavy sadness. Thinking how common this somber feeling is, I decided on the title “common as corn” for this collage. Large corn fields are commonplace in my region of the world, and there is a heartbreak I sense beyond just my own on this planet.
Do you feel a communal sadness?
There are days where everything just feels broken or in a state of decay. I think the important thing is to acknowledge it. Spend time with the feeling. What are the roots?
Hopefully eventually we can say OK yes, it sucks - but how can we find a way through, get unstuck? We have the ability to turn things around. We can stop fighting.
Fighting the feelings, fighting with each other, fighting ourselves.
I have known a deep sense of sorrow since I was very young. Letting go of that familiar feeling when it doesn’t serve me has been difficult. It’s a consuming and heavy way to move through life carrying it all and doing nothing with it.
Examining my inner way of being and untangling it by organizing, cutting and glueing paper is one major way I have to found to move the feelings into something more tangible and motivating. It is not a cure-all but I find it to be very accessible.
When I look at this piece:
I see the tail of an airplane – I think of small airplane windows, seeing things from an aerial view, yet through a tiny opening. The composition also has a sense of what certain landscapes look like from the sky, in the way land is delegated into a patchwork terrain.
Two concepts unfold in my mind ~
• Restriction – barriers, borders, limits, bias, compartmentalizing
• Release – bigger picture, open mind, letting go, ease
I think about how we each have a perspective and what it takes to know when and how to shift it. For me that means slowing down and taking everything in, from a quiet place of respect and empathy. It also makes me consider how our perspective alters the way we treat others and approach life.
Also, the way we treat ourselves.
How do we get to a place where we really see what is right in front of us and don’t look away? How do we stay open to balancing action with knowing when to let go? How do we move through life with less resistance?
Acceptance is what sums it up for me as these thoughts settle in. That word, that idea, holds so much weight. It's present in every session with my therapist as we work out how to navigate life. The importance of leaning in and feeling all the tough stuff. Cultivating the ability to accept whatever comes and embrace it.
Accepting life, accepting oneself, accepting others.
With a wish for a more delicate approach I decided on the title “we float” for this collage.
There is a particular therapy session I remember where it finally sunk in just how much I was “thinking in black or white”. Things are either good or bad. I was operating from the idea that because something horrible happened in my life, that was the only way to ever look at it –
That was terrible, I feel terrible.
I was not allowing myself to see that good things also happen alongside, which fed into the fear that bad things will keep happening.
I remember the ambient and easy feeling of realizing that there is a grey area, or even a gradation of colors. There is room for the terrible and terrific – often all at the same damn time.
Strange how accepting something, taking it all in, sitting with it can help make life feel lighter.
A process for processing.
So glad you enjoyed it! It's truly great to hear that this is meaningful for you!
Yes, just like you mentioned in a recent IG post, making room for the next thing is a daily way to clear the mind and heart.
Thoroughly enjoyed this Errin! So many great takeaways for me:
"There is room for the terrible and terrific – often all at the same damn time." - Exactly this! If there is one lesson I'm learnign over and over again in all aspects, in all avenues, and in all ways, it's this one.
"if I catch myself overthinking it I’ll rotate the art around and work from a different view." - Excellent tip! I'm kicking myself that I've never once thought about.
"We Float" is my favorite! So good!
Thanks for this!