Good day!

I hope you are having a good day, a wonderful day in fact. It is always a good day when it is time to play!
(Note: play is not exclusively for children - adults need it too).

Module Three

Collage of Likes 

You will need:
Paper, card or wood for a background, a variety of paper and pictures to collage with, scissors, glue, blu tack or tape.
 
According to Psychology Today "...collage simply means ‘to glue,’ and is the assembling of different images or materials to create a new whole." 

There aren't really any rules to this project, except to work from the heart.
 
To begin with you will need to collect any bits of paper you like. These could be pictures from a magazine or newspaper, shiny sweet wrappers, wrapping paper, bits of wallpaper or colour charts that you can take as free samples from your local hardware shop, tissue paper, photographs; it is entirely up to you.

Other items are not ruled out; go wild with sequins, buttons, fabrics, ribbon or glitter, anything that takes your attention in a positive way. You might be drawn to a picture of an item of clothing, a haircut, or a house or car. Maybe there is a plain block of colour or a pattern you like, anything goes. The trick is not to linger on choosing; if it ignites a spark then grab it.
 
You can also choose how to approach this task. Maybe you want to set aside one evening to go through a pile of magazines and another to create something with it. Or, you might want to allocate a week to squirrel some things to one side that make you feel good and the weekend to make the collage.

This is not the same as creating a vision board of what you want; it is about grabbing things that speak to you, that lift your mood and pique your interest. It helps you to know what you want and like in the first place. 
 
The next stage is to put it all together. You will need a surface: paper, a piece of wood, a piece of card, the inside or outside of a shoebox; again, whatever speaks to you is perfect. You will also need scissors and glue or double sided tape or sticky dots.

The starting point is also up to you; you can choose whether to lay it all out, try different arrangements and then stick it down when you're happy with it, or, stick down each item bit by bit until some or most of your space, is filled. Sometimes the empty spaces can be just as important.

Try to leave some gaps, they can show you what is missing in your life. If you have way more pictures than space that can tell you something too. It could be you are trying to do too much or that you are hoarding somewhere in your life. Maybe you are keeping yourself unnecessarily busy to avoid facing up to something?

You might want to split some pieces up and use them in more than one place, or keep them intact and put things side by side. If you want to stick something upside down, then do it. It is all about how you feel; don't give it too much thought. It is not about creating a work of art, or something that is 'aesthetically pleasing' it is about creating a portrait of what excites and motivates you and the results may be surprising.
 
When you have a finished project, leave it for a while, maybe a couple of hours, a day or two, or even a week or so. When you feel ready, take it out and have a look. What have you made?

This is an example of  one of my 'collages of likes'. what does yours look like? Remember there is no right or wrong or 'better' or 'good and bad' in this process. Everything you create is beautiful.

Look at your collage or meditate on it for about five minutes without distractions, (again you can use the music from the introduction email) notice your breathing. Having a notepad and pen or pencil to hand is a good idea. How does it make you feel?

Is there more or less colour that you expected? Different colours? Do any themes come through, such as family, friends, music or travel? How do they relate to your life at the moment?

Also notice what ISN'T there that you would like to be there - what do any gaps represent and what could you fill them with?

If we want anything new to come into our lives then we have to make space and allow it to come in. 

Display your collage somewhere in your home to remind you of what you have discovered about yourself. You can share in the Facebook page or group if you want to or on IG @theattentiveartist.
 

You are just over halfway on this course now. How are you feeling?

Are you noticing your thoughts more?

Understanding your choices better?

Just feeling great for the process?

I sincerely hope so! I'd love it if you pop into the facebook group and let me know!

Bye for now,

Sophie X