Plunging Further into Abstract Collages
Searching for Coherence and Beauty
Doubt crept into my mind three days after my breakthrough with abstract collage. Was it a fluke or a seed of an idea that could lead to more possibilities? The thought kept nagging at me. The fear of failure loomed while my inner critic sneered and mocked me while I cooked breakfast and went about my to-do list that morning. By afternoon, however, curiosity and courage won out. I eased into the process following the framework from the previous session and applied it to this first collage. You will notice a striking similarity between this assemblage from where I left off.
Pushing Past Discomfort
This week, I revisited abstract collaging, an often difficult and uncomfortable process that I instinctively resist and push aside.
As my confidence grew, I abandoned the scissors and ripped the letters into random pieces for my next try. “Oh, my,” I thought as I stared at the pile. With a few deep breaths, I plunged right into it. I took my time sorting through and searching for coherence. Exhilaration and riding the creative flow kept me going. At dusk, I settled on this arrangement and called it a day. I was quite pleased with the results!
Four days later, I revisited the tear strategy, testing once again whether or not, the success from the previous session was another stroke of luck. As you can observe on the left side of the page below, the controlled chaos was interesting and marked it as a success in my book.
I stepped away to pace myself. I wanted to periodically reflect on the collages, evaluating their visual strength combined with my feelings about them.
So far, so good.
A week and a day later, I retrieved the leftover cut-outs from a small white envelope tucked in the pocket of my journal. The goal was to take controlled chaos to an extreme level by using all of it in one collage. This turned out to be my least favorite on this post—the assemblage was a bit too dense for my taste. However, it was a good experiment to learn from.
The next idea struck me during a pre-dawn scrolling episode as I attempted to return to sleep. Despite my displeasure with the algorithm-driven suggestions on Instagram, I credit its mechanism for introducing me to an artist who tore paper using a metal ruler. Sparks of inspiration ignited in my mind, and I couldn't wait until daybreak to begin. I applied her technique to my next collage session, dear readers, and I was ecstatic!
The following day, I had a few things on my plate that I wanted to get ahead of but the abstract typography grid kept pulling my attention. I couldn’t focus on the task at hand so I relented. Oh, the possibilities— I am so excited about this direction!
Coincidentally, I came across
‘s latest post and was captivated by this quote:The Guided Drift
It was Fred’s seminary professor, Dr. William Orr, who introduced him to a new way of looking at his life path: the guided drift.
The idea of the guided drift was about trying to “live a life that was open to change and serendipity, that embraced the possibilities of life rather than the confines of a rigid set of rules” This meant being “guided by our principles, but also free to embrace the flow of life”.
To a certain extent, I observed a correlation between the quote, abstract collaging, and my life at the moment. If I consider each piece individually, it appears nonsensical—rough on the edges, imperfect, and undecipherable. However, if I am willing to adopt a different perspective, to embrace and "go with the flow" in search of cohesion, these wabi-sabi pieces, when taken together, transform into a beautiful work of art.
Finally, another poignant quote landed in my inbox yesterday. While it may appear unrelated to abstract collaging, I believe it holds universal relevance to life, much like the process of creating art:
In the silence of our hearts, we must wait patiently for the compass needle to steady. Then it will point to True North, the still center… and we will be enabled to move forward again. — Margaret Silf
Thank you, dear readers, for staying with me through the end of this post. I get geeky when I’m excited about exploring my curiosity. For some, I hope this enthusiasm is contagious enough to inspire you in some way or form.
As always, let’s meet each other in the comments section below. If any of the collage art or quotes resonated with you, I’d love to hear about them.
See you all next Sunday!
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I love your enthusiasm, Stella, and yes! the way you share it is *definitely* contagious. I think the metal straightedge gives the torn collage pieces a wonderful and subtle texture. It's great to see you having so much joy in the process of your art-making.
I love them. It is so funny that breaking little habits like tearing instead of cutting can open up a whole new world. I always have been a „tearer“ of my collage papers, because collage for me is an intuitive process. I like that the paper will sometimes tear in unexpected ways as if it wants to take an active part in the making.