Words and photos by Jhanine Caoile
Sometimes, to keep our minds clear and to help us think straight, you’ll find that writing things down helps. A lot. May it be a set of goals you’re working towards or a list of ideas, writing these thoughts down will help you focus better.
These days, I find myself spending more time doing collage journaling. Collage journaling is the art of journaling through photos and words, thus portraying a certain story or mood. It is also known to be the art of assembling different photos, texts, patterns, and textures to create an art piece.
Since collage journaling is something that requires materials that can be easily found at home, it is very convenient for those times you can’t go out. It’s also budget-friendly! And most importantly, it does not require any intermediate skill in any art field, so anyone is more than welcome to give it a try.
Here are 4 steps to help you get into collage journaling.
1. Find your materials
All you need is a pair of scissors, a glue stick, a blank notebook, and some decorative items. Your notebook will serve as your canvas, and your photo cutouts will serve as your paint. The decorative items you may use can range from materials you can find in your scrapbooking kit (decorative tape, old stamps, stickers, and tickets) to even things you can find in your garden (leaves and flowers). I prefer making use of old magazines and some patterned paper. However, you may opt to use anything you may find at home! Really, the possibilities are endless!
ALSO READ: Here’s How You Can Prettify and Organize your Journals
2. Next, cut out your favorite pieces and group them according to your preference
Find pieces you think will go together or that will help tell a story to express that visual or idea in your head. Grouping pieces that follow a common color scheme or theme will help you achieve a certain mood or vibe to your work, thus creating a more aesthetically pleasing appearance and clearer message.
3. Map out your pieces and try different layouts
Try placing your chosen pieces in different arrangements to tell in which layout they look best in or feels most right for you. This step might take a lot of trial and error to achieve the perfect fit, thus requiring much time and patience, but keep in mind that the most important thing is that you are enjoying what you are doing. Also, no need to aim for perfection. You’ll know a piece is right when it feels that way for you.
4. Lastly, start gluing!
This has got to be the most exciting part of the whole process because it is when you can finally see your pieces coming together on your “canvas.” Minor changes can still be made to your previous layout, and little pieces can also be added. You may also opt to add some text using magazine cutouts, letter stamps, or simply writing with calligraphy pens.
Wondering how the final product would look like? In hopes of bringing you some inspiration, here are some of my recent collage journals.
I know all of you have got your own set of things to run to when faced with either the best or the worst moments of your lives. Well, I’ve got mine too! Collage journaling has truly become an avenue I have found comfort in to further express my thoughts and feelings, and I hope that all of you would be able to try this out any time soon too.
How about you? What are the things you find yourself doing when faced with times of joy and uncertainty in your life? Share with us in the comments below.
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