The Humble Path
Wisdom from Abstract Collaging
As I’ve gained confidence in tackling my fear of abstract collaging, I find myself increasingly drawn to this style, especially as life has become more chaotic and uncertain over the past four months. In my small workspace, I sit in the nook and take comfort in leafing through a stack of torn magazine pages. Beside it is another pile of paper scraps that could easily be mistaken for trash. I have no idea how things will turn out in each session. I suspend my expectations and let intuition guide me, one piece of paper at a time.
“Let’s just play,” I say to myself repeatedly as I tear and move pieces around.
If anything emerges, I only hope they are imperfectly beautiful—allowing glue residue, uneven cuts, rough edges, dust, and wrinkles to become part of the art. I confess, dear readers, that I am not an X-Acto knife kind of analog collager. With my stubby fingers, precision isn’t my strong suit. I used to be self-conscious about it, even envying artists who produce neat, intricate, and detailed work. But I am gradually learning to embrace my limitations and use them to my advantage. This practice is helping, and creating from this mess is therapeutic.
Pico Iyer writes, “To say you don’t know what’s going to happen in life is the confession not of the fatalist but of the humbled. And humility, as T.S. Eliot notes, may be the closest many of us ever get to wisdom.”
It’s not a popular sentiment, but it resonated with me. I like to think that creating abstract collages parallels this quote. I feel humbled each time I begin.
As always, let’s meet each other in the comments section below. Let me know your thoughts and if any of the words or collages resonated with you.
A BRIEF HIATUS AND AN INVITATION TO EXPLORE
Dear ones, I will be taking a pause for the next several weeks due to unforeseen circumstances. I hope to return by late October.
In the meantime, I invite you to explore my ARCHIVE, where you can revisit photographs, collages, and the stories and nuggets of wisdom I’ve shared over the past two years.
ANOTHER WAY TO SUPPORT SUNDAYS WITH STELLA
I've listened to your requests and created a support page on my website. Now you can contribute to 'Sundays with Stella' in any amount using your credit card, PayPal, or Venmo. Your generosity is truly appreciated!
Dear Stella, your collages are stunning. I really think you have a gift for them! I love the compositions, the way the colors and lines flow and bend. Take good care during your hiatus. See you in October. xo
Pretty much all of my collages are abstract. These collages of yours look really good! Yes! You have to embrace the paper for what it is and find your own way with it that sings for you.