|
Creativity is a joyous expression buried deep within the soul which suddenly bubbles up to the surface and overflows. To be truly creative, one needs to be in touch with their inner child. This means knowing how to laugh, how to play, how to pretend, and how breathe and feel deeply.
Adults begin to stifle many creative urges as they struggle to deal with the pressures of everyday living. And after a while life becomes mere drudgery, full of stress and worries. But this is not the type of existence we were meant to live. Humans are created so that they, in turn, will also create. This purpose is at the very core of human nature.
Finding a space where we can withdraw from the outside world becomes increasingly important if we are to live wholly and completely. Great writers, poets, artists and musicians have all spoken of this plane where we delve past our pain, and excavate what Victorian poet Matthew Arnold referred to as being our “Buried Life,” which is our true original self.
One way a person can get back in touch with that inner child is by creating a scrapbook of collages. What is wonderful about this project is that you do not have to be a good artist in order to be creative. All you need are your fondest wishes, hopes and dreams to record a visual image of what you want out of your life.
Sara Ban Breathnach in her book The Illustrated Discovery Journal: Creating a Visual Autobiography of Your Authentic Self suggests that creating a collage of how you would like to look and dress gives you a glimpse into your authentic self. This project enables you to clearly define who you truly are.
So often, many external issues hide this aspect of ourselves. We gain too much weight or we do not have the money to live the lifestyle that outwardly reflects our internal being. By creating a collage of what we would like to be, we discover that we are indeed very similar to this “ideal” person. At first we think this imaginary person we have made up inside our head is very different from our perceived reality. But in fact, after a while, you begin to realize that you are so much closer than you at first believed. Maybe the external doesn’t match the internal to the extent you would like. But then you come to the place where you have clearly defined yourself and it becomes easier to move closer to that original model.
All you need are these items to get started on this unique path of self-discovery:
scissors
magazines and catalogs
glue
a scrapbook or a large artist pad
Make a collage of how you would like to look and dress. Next, make a collage of what kind of lifestyle you desire.
Novelists can use collages as a means to visually create characters for their books. Making and using this type of collage gives you a better idea of what physical qualities your characters possess. Cut out pictures of furnishings and houses to define what kind of taste they have, what type of house they live in. Are they urban professionals or rural American? What are their values? Making colleges for your characters is a great way to get to really know them, therefore making it easier for the novelist to paint an accurate picture with words.
Mostly though, collages are just fun to create. Doing this project brings out the kid in you, giving you time to pretend, time to play, and time to dream.
| 
