SoulCollage®

I’m gonna go a little deeper this week and share with you that I’m an anxious person. I’m always worried about getting it all done and planning out all the little details.

I recently got to sit down with some good friends and become a collage maker for the afternoon using the SoulCollage® process. SoulCollage® was created and refined by Seena Frost. My friend Barb Horn is a SoulCollage® facilitator in Southwest Colorado. This activity was such a great window into my inner workings and expression – it was great practice for using your gut instincts and tapping into your creative subconscious.

I made the card pictured here about the wave I always feel is bearing down on me, and willing myself to be calm and go with the flow. This was a deep topic for me, but I’ve also made cards about happiness, marriage and my addiction to/love for goats.

I’ve used this collage process to glean more about what is going on for me. In addition, the cards result in portable works of art that can be gestated and reinterpreted multiple times or even given as gifts.

Today’s play date entails ripping up magazines, fitting an entire story into a tiny 5″ x 8″ frame, and pretending you are a piece of cardboard.

Sound good? Let’s go!

You Are a Collage Maker

You’ll need a few supplies for this one, but luckily, you can easily improvise if you don’t have them on hand. Here are my recommendations:

• Scissors
• A pen and note paper
• A glue stick like the one found here
• A 5 x 8 matt board. This size is kind of a ‘sweet spot’, but feel free to experiment with size and material. I’ve used a piece of paper board as my backing in a pinch.
• The downloadable Collage Maker found here
• Magazines that no one wants anymore (you can also use photographs, wrapping paper, bits of fabric – whatever strikes your fancy!)

The Process

Playdate: There are No Rules

Collaging is a creative process and many variations have surfaced, but Barb teaches about making cards and eventually having “suites” of cards to draw from. Cards might (but don’t have to) represent:

• a committee member (inner child, victim, hero, etc.),
• companions (animal or people in your life),
• a council member (archetypes)
• a community member (someone who has influenced you)

Once you accumulate a collection of cards, you can do readings based on these suites, much like Tarot cards.

SoulCollage® is a creative outlet for what is happening in my life at the time. I usually do it in a group, so I also enjoy the social aspect (and entertaining anecdotes by Barb interspersed through the whole session), but it can certainly be a 15 minute play date with yourself too. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to both browse images in magazines and compose your card in the frame.

Sharing is Optional

1. SoulCollage® is a great way to learn more about yourself. Answer a burning question or access your creative subconscious.
2. You can do this with a group or alone.
3. If you find yourself falling in love with this process, you can order supplies or learn more about SoulCollage®.