Collaging as Therapy

I could write an essay about the joys and effects of collaging, but that would defeat the purpose of a collage. Instead, let me share Elizabeth Gilbert's thoughts on this relaxing practice:

I love collage. Collage is the gift that God gave to those of us who cannot draw. You can make a pretty thing without, you know, actually having the ability to make a pretty thing.
I make a lot of collages in my life. I do one before every new project, and another at the end of every project. I do one for every big move, and every new chapter in my life. I do them when I'm sad and can't figure out why, and when I'm so happy that my emotions spill over and it all needs to be Modge-Podged in order to feel real. 

These are not masterworks that I make. I don't need them to be GOOD. They are just a visual/emotional thumbprint of a moment in time. They always surprise me, and they always inform me. I keep them in a notebook that is something like a non-wordy diary. For somebody who is so verbal, it's restful for me to just play around with color and shape and image, and to see what that all has to teach me about where I am, and what I want. 

--Elizabeth Gilbert, on her Facebook Page

I'm so glad that one of my writerly heroes shares a love for this activity with me. I've been collaging since high school, when I would make them for end of semester projects. Now, I fill journal covers, corkboards, bowls, and boxes with images I pull from magazines. These items decorate my apartment and remind me of times I felt creative, or not creative at all. They serve as inspiration and meditation.

I know I'll be collaging into the new year. Maybe if you're lucky I'll share my creations on here. :)