HOW TO MAKE AN ARTY PHOTO COLLAGE OF YOURSELF

We are part of the most self-obsessed generation that has ever lived on earth. Thank you, Kim! When you can take a selfie and publish it on Instagram or Facebook, why shouldn’t you take some and make them part of an arty and creative project? You shouldn’t be ashamed to make yourself to an art object. Look at how Frida Kahlo expressed herself in her self-portraits.

WHAT INSPIRED ME?

Some of you already know that I’ve just declared the era of “falling in love with everything & everyone”. Yes please, smile or shake your heads, it’s okay. I’m aware that it sounds very hippie and you know what? I don’t mind. I think it’s time for being a bit more hippie. Now let me tell you why!

Most of us are exposed to constant stress from all sides. Our days consist of routines to tick of those many things on our do-do lists. We don’t want to slow down because we are scared to perform badly and all we want is to grow and take steps forwards as parents, friends, employees, managers, etc. At the end of an exhausting day, it’s most convenient to spend it in front of your TV or on Netflix right? Or you are one of those who scroll through their social media feeds for hours.

Life has taught me that stress and being constantly overstimulated are the major reasons why people don’t feel happy or hippie. Some get sick, some protect themselves and become less social. I’ve read an article that explained what stress is doing to our bodies from a chemical perspective and how that results in some people not falling in love anymore. Stress is triggering chemicals such as cortisol. High levels of cortisol interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function, increase weight gain, blood pressure, heart disease—and the list goes on. Stress reduces the oxytocin levels as well and this chemical is important for social bonding, for falling in love, and for wanting to make and spend time with others. Real-time, not on WhatsApp or social media!

That’s why I believe that we should even more so declare a time of love! This can be self-love, loving your friends, your dog, your cat, your job, your lovers, your wife, your crazy family, your flat mates, your colleagues, your boss, your personal trainer, your secret crush, your mentor, your city, your country, your origins, your dance course, your hair, your books, your flat etc.

What has all that to do with an arty collage?
Very simple. I picked self-love as a first topic and created something with it! Loving yourself is something that we all neglect way too easily because we take care of our children, partners, parents, jobs, tax return papers… but hey, when do we truly practise self-love? For me, that’s taking care of myself in a holistic way. Checking in with my thoughts, my self-talk, my body and my feeling. Again, if you think this all is only for “softies” well, just stop reading, head over to another website or back to your Instagram feed but I tell you this self-love is VERY important. Why? It helps us being more at peace with ourselves and that enables us to spark positivity in and find energy to connect with others. The world needs more of that!

PRACTICAL TIPS TO START

• Find a topic: in my case it’s self-love connected to the falling in love with everything & everyone. Surround yourself with many different influences and inputs.

• Decide on a style: in my case I stuck to black and white photographs with some red doodle bombing on it.

• Have some ideas ready, note them down, think about composition. Take an idea from one place to another.

• Then just start to shoot and be open to experimentation. This is where it’s getting exciting. Unexpected outcomes wills surprise you and further fuel your creative ideas.

• Then save all pictures. Leave them for at least one day. Don’t do everything in one go.

• Get back to your pictures the next day and start putting different collages together. See it like giving your brain something to “play’ with. Et voila!

• Review your collages maybe a couple of days later. Edit, change or add and simply enjoy the results you’ve created.