College life is busy, but there are some hobbies worth making time for. For me, making collages is well worth the effort. There’s something calming about cutting out pieces of paper and gluing them together into something bigger. There’s something joyous in filling up an empty page. I’ve never considered myself good at drawing or painting, but through collaging I have found that I can express myself visually without having these skills, and so can you!
If you don’t know where to start, many libraries carry old magazines that are available for free. These are perfect for collaging or scrapbooking! Cut out any words or images that strike you and start from there. I also like to incorporate anything from ticket stubs and receipts to coloring book pages and newspapers. The possibilities are endless.
Once you have collected your materials, you can go in whatever direction you want. Sometimes I like to pick a theme or an idea and base a piece around that. Other times I glue pictures together in a way I find aesthetically pleasing, to reflect a certain mood, or for no reason at all. There’s no right or wrong. Occasionally, I like to incorporate my own writing or art into collage pieces. Try creating poetry out of words by cutting out of magazines or doodling around pictures you’ve cut out.
In my opinion, making collages is a cheap and rewarding hobby. So go dig out your scissors and glue sticks from grade school and start collaging in college!
Images by the author.