debts
I'm in no position to hand out advice. I barely know what I'm doing. I barely know anything.
But, one of the things I do know is how hard it is and how hard it can be to learn things on your own. To have to find your way with little to no help or guidance. And, I know how grateful I am to the people who've been patient enough to not only tolerate my questions, but also kind enough to answer them helpfully. People like Scott Cottrell and Krisztian Szinnay, whose amazing work, and gracious tips have been indispensable to me.
So when
asked me if I had any pointers I could offer, I'm duty-bound to oblige the request, as repayment to those I'm indebted to.
What I tried to say, I thought might be worth sharing with you too:
Explore, iterate, experiment, be curious.
As you do, pay attention to what you pay attention to. What tools and materials feel ‘right’? What colors and textures draw you in? What kind of images spark something? Lean into those things.
Figure out how you want the work to feel, and how you want to feel doing it. What makes it the easier? What makes it more difficult? Where’s the flow? Where’s the friction? Create the conditions in your workspace, with your resources, and with your implements that help to balance them.
It’s the habits and rituals outside the work that most greatly impact the way you work on the page.
I hope that helps in some way, and, even more so, I hope that you'll share what helps with some else along the way.
**special thanks to for some of the collage materials used to create “these vital fragments” - you can purchase one of her collage grab bags here.
P.S. - one of my index card collages is featured in the recent issue of Mulberry Literary. It’s nice to see older pieces still retaining some appeal. You can find it here.
P.P.S - ICAD Day 2-4 - all the collages featured below and above are available for purchase here.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond 🙏🏽
Excellent advice!