The Sylvr Pen

Today in addition to the collage of the day,

I want to show you the book I’ve already started altering for my next collage series—

For two reasons:

 1- Some parts of the above collage came out of this very book (at least one of the quotes, and the leaf pictures—probably tea leaves, because the book now called “Taking Time” was formerly “Taking Time for Tea.” I included the other collage pictures from elsewhere because they seem to fit with the Thoreau quote, representing varied “regions,” or even worlds.

Since I plan to use mixed media in this volume, I needed to remove pages to give room for the extra bulk that will create. As I did, words and images attracted my attention and told me they’d make good “stash” for future projects.

2- I want to get another project going BEFORE I finish the one I’m actively engaged in.

Does that sound like a “crazy idea”? Stick with me. There’s purpose in this madness.

It’s true that starting several projects when you’re already doing one, or trying to carry on ten or fifteen already-begun projects at the same time can just end you up in a cluttered, chaotic workspace and confused state of mind—with maybe nothing getting finished! Yet a dismal thing often happens if you don’t line up some new creative effort before you finish the old.

Writers often report that the completion of a book they’ve been working on for months or years feels strangely like “a kind of death.” What often confronts them, instead of a feeling of freedom to start fresh on something new, is a great, big mental chasm with a formidable barrier labeled, “Dead End!”

A similar thing happens to artists. Once the project or series is finished, suddenly the mind seems to go as blank as the new canvas or page in front of the face and the artist feels lost and without purpose.

Some clever creatives have figured out a preventive to use before reaching that point:

Start thinking ahead:

Just take time now and then to brainstorm ideas and note them in a notebook or file, or write short prompt cards and place them in some handy receptacle.

Daydream, like Thoreau says in the collage above: “Direct your mind inward, and you’ll find a thousand regions of your mind, yet undiscovered. Travel them.”

Go through junk mail or magazines and tear or cut out “new” tidbits that catch your fancy: faces, objects, words, colors, textures, whatever. Separate the ones that “grab you” most, to consider further in the near future.

Rifle through the stash you already have and see what “grabs your heart” there.

“Break” a blank page or two by slapping some gesso or paint or random scraps of texture on them, as I did in the former “tea” book.

From all of the ideas this activity has conjured, select one, definite or vague, and gather materials and components into a container specifically for that.

Some creatives (wisely) like to do the above in two phases,

1) the brainstorming or idea gathering preliminary, and

2) starting some initial “work” (play) in the narrowed-down project.

All this helps prevent the great blank page or canvas, and writer’s block or artist’s dead end. I think it could be very helpful in just about any area of human endeavor.

*****

Previous posts in this series:

Day 1 Mini Collage and 31-Days Introduction

Day 2 Collage: Nothing-But-Junk Fish

Day 3 Collage: What Grabs Your Heart?

Day 4 Collage: Why I Chose to do this 31 Days–Really

Day 5 Collages: On Being Transparent

Day 6 Collage: Salute to Birds and Dragonflies

Day 7 Collage: Got it Made in the Shade

Collage Day 8: Three Good Children’s Books to Inform Our Lives

Day 9 Collage: Smiles, Smiles (What Makes You Smile?)

Day 10 Collage: Which Way is Out?

Day 11 Collage: Rugged Rocks or Rugs?

Day 12 (non-junk-mail)  Collage: “Be Like the Bird…”

Lovelights and Blues (Day 13 Collage)

Day 14 Collage: “Fleur de Free” (Extended Cut Shape Technique)

Day 15 Collage: The Beauty of Serenity

Day 16: Two Collages, Just for the Enjoyment

Day 17 Collage Talk: “Only Words”

Day 18 Collage: Broken Hearts Can Soar

Day 19 Collage: Collage as Therapy? (Plus Cut-and-Fold-Back Technique)

Day 20 Collage: A Beautiful Ride

Day 21 Collage: Birds in Lush Growth

Day 22 Collage: Hope

Just this today:

There is hope.

“

Bluebirds have always captivated me—one of my favorite birds. But ever since that “down” day a couple years ago, when I asked God for “a sign for good,” they have held a very special place in my heart.

That’s why I cut out these two birds, placed them on lush woodland background, and set those vibrant flowers in the foreground. Though one of them isn’t really a bluebird, at first glance it looks like it is, and “two is better than one,” especially in the light of the story I’m going to link you to.

It’s the post I wrote about how God gave me sign upon sign to cheer me up when I asked for one. If you need cheering up today, may it do the same for you. If you’re already cheery, may it help you celebrate the kind of things God sometimes does for His discouraged children. Go to…

Signs for Good, Blue

***

Previous posts in this series:

Day 1 Mini Collage and 31-Days Introduction (A duplicate of this page)

Day 2 Collage: Nothing-But-Junk Fish

Day 3 Collage: What Grabs Your Heart?

Day 4 Collage: Why I Chose to do this 31 Days–Really

Day 5 Collages: On Being Transparent

Day 6 Collage: Salute to Birds and Dragonflies

Day 7 Collage: Got it Made in the Shade

Collage Day 8: Three Good Children’s Books to Inform Our Lives

Day 9 Collage: Smiles, Smiles (What Makes You Smile?)

Day 10 Collage: Which Way is Out?

Day 11 Collage: Rugged Rocks or Rugs?

Day 12 (non-junk-mail)  Collage: “Be Like the Bird…”

Lovelights and Blues (Day 13 Collage)

Day 14 Collage: “Fleur de Free” (Extended Cut Shape Technique)

Day 15 Collage: The Beauty of Serenity

Day 16: Two Collages, Just for the Enjoyment

Day 17 Collage Talk: “Only Words”

Day 18 Collage: Broken Hearts Can Soar

Day 19 Collage: Collage as Therapy? (Plus Cut-and-Fold-Back Technique)

Day 20 Collage: A Beautiful Ride

*****

Today I set out on what I hope will be a beautiful ride.

No, not on a bicycle, in a comfortable car.

True, this year’s autumn color peak has come and gone. Even while here, it was only a “peek.” The weather didn’t cooperate. But there are still spots of brilliance out there, and as I travel toward the Lakes more of it may remain, because the water bodies temper the temperature.

I’m going off-line for the rest of today, then all of tomorrow and Sonday, at least till I get home that evening. I’m blessed to be able to attend a second silent retreat, my only one ever besides last January. This weekend’s retreat is in a totally different venue, and has a very different set-up and approach. So it will be interesting to compare. (I hope the travel will be less adventuresome than January’s!) But the main thing is the focus, which is the same for both: time with God, in rest and silence, alone with Him while in the company of others desiring the same communion.

After pouring out all these words, I really look forward to that. To me it seems there’s some insanity in purposing to write-and-post for 31 days straight, and so I made exceptions of Sondays, though still aiming for 31 posts with 31 collages. What you’ll see this weekend (and today, actually) will appear automatically, as I “scheduled” them for their particular dates and times.

Getting this post done ahead of time (it’s actually Wednesday as I write) makes my tense shoulders relax and my breath come more slowly and deeply.

I look forward to more of that, and hope you have a “beautiful ride” through your weekend, wherever that may take you, whatever your plans may be.

May we all be able to slip into God’s slipstream,* and enjoy His presence in it!

***

*slipstream n … an area of reduced air pressure and forward suction immediately behind a rapidly moving vehicle (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary)

*****

Previous Posts in this Series:

Day 1 Mini Collage and 31-Days Introduction (A duplicate of this page)

Day 2 Collage: Nothing-But-Junk Fish

Day 3 Collage: What Grabs Your Heart?

Day 4 Collage: Why I Chose to do this 31 Days–Really

Day 5 Collages: On Being Transparent

Day 6 Collage: Salute to Birds and Dragonflies

Day 7 Collage: Got it Made in the Shade

Collage Day 8: Three Good Children’s Books to Inform Our Lives

Day 9 Collage: Smiles, Smiles (What Makes You Smile?)

Day 10 Collage: Which Way is Out?

Day 11 Collage: Rugged Rocks or Rugs?

Day 12 (non-junk-mail)  Collage: “Be Like the Bird…”

Lovelights and Blues (Day 13 Collage)

Day 14 Collage: “Fleur de Free” (Extended Cut Shape Technique)

Day 15 Collage: The Beauty of Serenity

Day 16: Two Collages, Just for the Enjoyment

Day 17 Collage Talk: “Only Words”

Day 18 Collage: Broken Hearts Can Soar

Day 19 Collage: Collage as Therapy? (Plus Cut-and-Fold-Back Technique)

Angst! Tense muscles! That sense of unrelenting pressure, of being in over my head!

That’s where I found myself about halfway through this 31-Days-31-Collages-and-Posts commitment. Heel of hand to forehead, and “What was I thinking?” predominating my mind. I wrote about the problem in a comment I left elsewhere:

I am getting distractions and hindrances to posting daily, especially with the qualification I’ve given myself not to flash-publish without giving a post at least a little sit time, then proofing for erroneous messages. Also, I’m slated to go away on a silent retreat this coming weekend, where I’ll be out of internet for three days...! I’d thought I could get posts prepared ahead and scheduled to publish automatically while I’m away, but lately I’ve gotten doubtful about even getting the day’s post up and out!
 All this is making me tense, and that’s choking up the writing pipes!...

So what did I do?

Well, first I “happened” to get email notification of Kel Rolf’s post called “Permission.” I read it. I found lots of good sense in it. And I decided, as she, to give myself permission to do less than perfectly, miss a few days if I must, and catch them up later if I so decided.

Then I stepped aside to my prayer chair, and let down my nerves with God. And then…

I followed my heart, which led me into my creativity room, to my art table, and I started messing around with…

Collage!

I just wanted to handle the papers, work with the patterns, use a process called “cutting and folding back,” and not create anything “significant.”

As I got immersed in this process, the angst fell away, my head cleared—and I even found myself with an illustration (or two—see below) for a coming blog post (this one)!

From there I went and wrote one of my most difficult pieces, touching on domestic abuse (scary subject).

I’ve gotten posts up and published daily, too—haven’t missed a one! (Yet. But if I do, I’ll give myself grace and not let it throw me out of the marathon. I’ll scramble to my feet and re-enter the race, quite possibly refreshed again!)

So, can collage be therapeutic, especially for stress? I have found it so. And you may, too. Give it a try! (Junk mail scraps, a glue stick, and some index cards or other pieces of paper to stick them to: That’s all you need. Lots cheaper than a therapist, and in such cases as above, just as good.)

***

The process used in the collages above:

It’s as simple as it sounds.

• Take a piece of paper, preferably with different colors or patterns on back and front. Some scrapbooking papers are ideal for this. (Or, paste two different papers together, back to back. Let dry, then proceed.)
• Fold it in half (or, as in the circles example above, just cut it starting from one straight edge as if it were the fold line), and flip back the cut pieces. (The second example uses a combination of the two methods.)
• Paste the resulting arrangement on a background paper. Here I used black. The circle design ended up working well because I happened to cut circles to flip, and the underneath paper (page) contained several circles. Straight lines were more appropriate for the second example, with its straight lines and rectangles.

*****

Previous Posts in this Series:

Day 1 Mini Collage and 31-Days Introduction

Day 2 Collage: Nothing-But-Junk Fish

Day 3 Collage: What Grabs Your Heart?

Day 4 Collage: Why I Chose to do this 31 Days–Really

Day 5 Collages: On Being Transparent

Day 6 Collage: Salute to Birds and Dragonflies

Day 7 Collage: Got it Made in the Shade

Collage Day 8: Three Good Children’s Books to Inform Our Lives

Day 9 Collage: Smiles, Smiles (What Makes You Smile?)

Day 10 Collage: Which Way is Out?

Day 11 Collage: Rugged Rocks or Rugs?

Day 12 (non-junk-mail)  Collage: “Be Like the Bird…”

Lovelights and Blues (Day 13 Collage)

Day 14 Collage: “Fleur de Free” (Extended Cut Shape Technique)

Day 15 Collage: The Beauty of Serenity

Day 16: Two Collages, Just for the Enjoyment

Day 17 Collage Talk: “Only Words”

Day 18 Collage: Broken Hearts Can Soar