| The word "collage", as defined by the | | | | spend another day cutting out items/designing |
| Merriam-Webster dictionary, refers to "an | | | | the layout, and spend the final day |
| artistic composition made of various | | | | assembling your personal masterpiece. |
| materials (as paper, cloth or wood) glued on | | | | |
| a surface." It is derived from the French | | | | 5. Create a place. |
| verb, coller, which means to glue. Collages | | | | |
| are fun to create and can be incorporated as | | | | Create a quiet space and time to sit down to |
| a useful coaching tool. You might encourage | | | | work on your collage. Select the best time of |
| your clients to make collages around | | | | day and your favorite day of the week that |
| different things, qualities, ideas, and | | | | works for you. You may want to play some |
| opportunities that they wish to attract into | | | | relaxing music in the background. You may |
| their life. These personal artistic creations | | | | want to work on it in the early morning, at |
| are a powerful way to make a statement about | | | | twilight, or even late at night. Pick a |
| what you want most. While there are a lot of | | | | special time of day when you feel relaxed and |
| techniques you can use when designing and | | | | focused, but excited to use your mind and |
| developing your collage, here are some tips | | | | hands to create your vision on paper. A |
| to keep in mind. | | | | collage is a wonderful way to invest in |
| | | | yourself; a short vacation to visit with your |
| 1. Laying the foundation. | | | | vision! |
| | | | |
| You need to find something to create your | | | | 6. Make it your own. |
| collage upon. Poster board, which comes in a | | | | |
| variety of sizes and colors, is a good place | | | | To make sure you are directly connected to |
| to start. Large poster board measures 22 | | | | your work of art, include a photograph of |
| inches by 28 inches and is available at any | | | | yourself on the collage or sign your name on |
| office supply store. White is probably the | | | | it. This "ownership" will remind you that |
| best choice since you can add color, as you | | | | this collage is made by you and for you. |
| choose, to the background. You can purchase | | | | |
| 8.5 inch by 11 inch packages of colored paper | | | | 7. Leave some space. |
| and place them in various areas on the white | | | | |
| board to enjoy a multicolored background. | | | | Make sure to leave some space between the |
| This is especially nice when it highlights or | | | | various items you place on your collage. The |
| brings out the color in a picture that you | | | | space symbolizes the space, clarity, and even |
| place on top of it. You can also paint the | | | | the room for growth that you desire in your |
| background with a design or solid color, or | | | | life. Certainly it is fine to overlap items, |
| even use wall paper or other decorative scrap | | | | however, don't cover every inch of your |
| book papers to create the background that you | | | | poster board. You don't want a life that is |
| desire. | | | | filled to the brim with no space for |
| | | | welcoming in new things. |
| 2. Materials, materials and more materials. | | | | |
| | | | 8. Words are power. |
| You need some basic materials on hand in | | | | |
| order to get started, including poster board, | | | | Consider writing phrases, verses, or |
| scissors, colored pens and pencils, and some | | | | quotations which hold special meaning to you |
| glue sticks. A collage is your personal | | | | above, below or beside the pictures that you |
| canvas, yours to decorate in any way that you | | | | include on your collage. You can search for |
| please. Gather magazines and other materials | | | | quotations on the internet by simply typing |
| from which you can cut out pictures, words | | | | the word "quotations" in any search engine. |
| and phrases. Add money or coinage, or the | | | | |
| scent of your favorite perfume or cologne | | | | 9. Display your work of art. |
| (these scents will fade with time). Add | | | | |
| colors and designs penned with colored | | | | Place your collage where you can see it every |
| markers or pencils, or even crayons. Add bits | | | | day. Spend time looking at it and thinking |
| of decorative paper, colored string or other | | | | about the meaning behind the various |
| ornamentation. Include special photographs. | | | | pictures, words, and colors you have chosen. |
| You might even want to add pressed flowers, a | | | | Your collage isn't just a dream, whim, or |
| small bag of beach sand or other small items | | | | passing thought, but rather it is a living |
| which are important to creating your | | | | vision that you can access every day. |
| masterpiece. Use whatever materials you enjoy | | | | |
| that will bring your vision to life. Make | | | | 10. Specialty collages. |
| this multi-sensory experience all about you | | | | |
| and your vision. | | | | There are so many things one can do with a |
| | | | collage. One idea is to create a collage in |
| 3. Its all about...you. | | | | the shape of a life vision wheel. A life |
| | | | vision wheel is a circle, divided into 8 |
| Spend some time thinking about what you want | | | | different sections. Each section represents |
| to put on your collage. You might have some | | | | an aspect of your life. It might include: |
| preliminary ideas about colors and layout. | | | | finances, spirituality, career, hobbies |
| After you have cut out pictures, you can mock | | | | interests, romance, friends and family, |
| up your collage and try laying out things in | | | | health, and physical environment. You can |
| different formats. Think about these | | | | make up the number of categories that works |
| questions as you work on your collage: What | | | | for you. You could tape several poster boards |
| do I want to attract for myself or for | | | | together and draw a big circle on them |
| others? Why am I creating this collage? What | | | | representing each of these areas. Then you |
| special meaning does it have for me? | | | | could create mini-collages for each section. |
| | | | Or, you can create separate collages, each on |
| 4. Take your time. | | | | its own poster board, for specific areas you |
| | | | want to work on, like your health or wealth. |
| Rome wasn't built in a day and your collage | | | | The sky is the limit. Have fun with creating |
| doesn't need to be either. If you're busy, | | | | collages. They are a wonderful tool to |
| buy the materials on one day, gather | | | | support you in creating the vision for the |
| magazines and decorative items the next few, | | | | life you want to live. |