10 Things You Can Learn from Collage
Today, on World Collage Day, I feel more than grateful for having rediscovered this passion in my life. Bringing collage into my daily routine has led me to reflect deeply on the following lessons:
- You don’t need to own everything to make it work — you just need an open mind.
- Mistakes are more than welcome here.
- Sometimes I spend so much time fixing one detail, only to later realize there was another “mistake” I hadn’t noticed because I was so focused on that one thing. So I try to stop chasing perfection.
- Giving yourself permission to try is essential.
- You don’t have to control everything.
- Experimentation reveals parts of yourself you may not have known were there.
- You discover yourself a little more with every piece you create.
- Sometimes you start out obsessed with a specific element, thinking it will be the centerpiece of your work, but as the process unfolds, you have to let it go because it no longer fits — and that’s okay.
- Forcing things isn’t part of the vocabulary. If the process isn’t fun, then it’s not worth it.
- You don’t have to figure everything out at once. Give your mind space to rest — a new day often brings a new idea that makes it all come together.
Beyond learning more about colors, materials, and techniques with each piece, these lessons have felt like a kind of therapy for me. Some of them come more naturally to me than others, so this list also serves as a reminder to myself.
Just to give a quick example: at the beginning of this piece, I was trying too hard to place the lady inside the conch shell, but something about it felt off. In the end, I gave the seashell the full spotlight — and I think it worked out so much better.
This piece reminded me how much we learn in the making. Let me know if anything I said resonates with you — or share the most important lesson collage has taught you.