This is my class project for the Shabby Tools lesson. It was such a refreshing exercise that taught me a lot about creativity and about myself.

Usually, when I make collages, I have all the best tools at my disposal: different cutting knives and scissors, a glue stick, a brayer, a self-healing mat and a lot (as in, really a lot; I run an old paper sanctuary since I started collaging) of vintage magazines and books. The luxury of all those choices often overwhelms me, resulting in the fact that I get stuck.

For this collage, I restricted myself to one magazine, an empty tea package from the paper bin as my ‘canvas’, adhesive tape and a fineliner. I did not allow myself to use a knife or scissors.

Working with only one magazine meant I could not be picky since I had a limited choice of images. I made it even harder by using a magazine I would normally not use (a 2022 issue of the Dutch magazine Linda). I picked the magazine randomly, so it was a surprise what I’d find to work with. Using no knife or scissors meant I had to ‘go with the tear’, so I really had to be mindful of the way the paper works and embrace all imperfections. For straighter lines, I used the side of the kitchen island I was working on.

I allowed myself a bit of creative outlook on the ‘self-portrait’ part, but I was pleasantly surprised and very happy to find a cute little fox image in the magazine since I work under the name ‘meisjedevos’. ‘Vos’ translated to English is ‘fox’. The magazine was full of pretty pictures of even more pretty ladies with fancy clothes and jewelry, which… I totally can’t relate to. So instead, I chose a barefoot little girl on the kids' page (perfect to represent the inner child in me who was able to be creative without any self-taught restrictions or perfectionism!).

For this collage, I was more than ever able to go with the flow and let my intuition guide me. I looked for colors and structures to give it a cohesive look. I tore out some sentences to make a found poem. I had to use my problem-solving skills when I accidentally ripped off a piece of one sentence I really loved. Most of the tape I stuck down in such a way that it wasn’t visible, but in the end I decided to show some pieces deliberately to remind me things don’t have to be perfect to be pretty.

Maybe it is not my best piece of art, but I really loved the process, the outcome and the lessons learned! Ms. Perfectionista was probably watching the whole thing, accompanied by her ally Ms. No-it-All, but they both stayed quiet the whole time I was working on the collage. And that felt so freeing.

Thank you so very much Lucy. Next time I feel stuck, I’ll come back to this exercise.