by Anne Marie Bennett

The following is an excerpt from the "Create Art for Your Soul" on-line course. If you would like to enroll in the course, click here.

SoulCollage is a creative, fun tool for easy, artful self-expression. It was developed by Seena B. Frost, M. Div., M.A. as she worked with friends and clients in her psychotherapy practice. Using intuition and imagination, you create your own deck of collaged cards, where each card reflects a different aspect of who you are.

This soul-tending practice honors ones personal journey, while promoting personal growth and self-acceptance.
Best of all, it is a creative process that is truly accessible to everyone, even people who believe they have no artistic ability.

SoulCollage is unique because once an individual card has been created, there is still much to be discovered. Through journaling, visualization and other activities, you are invited to step deeper into each card and discover how it relates to your inner and outer world. And through readings, you can use your deck to answer questions that can help you to navigate more smoothly through your daily life.

Teachers, therapists, and people all over the world use this powerful process in workshops and psychotherapy, classrooms, retreats, coaching sessions, and in other contexts with diverse groups of people. As of autumn 2010, there are more than 900 trained SoulCollage Facilitators worldwide.

GATHERING SOULCOLLAGE SUPPLIES

One of the glorious things about SoulCollage is that it uses simple materials that are easy to find and inexpensive to buy. Pay close attention, because your homework in this first lesson involves getting all your supplies together.

Mat Board- Mat board is a heavy form of cardboard. It comes in many different colors and textures. It is the same material used when you buy a framed, matted photograph or picture. You can buy it in large sheets at art stores and then pay a small additional charge to have it cut into 5 x 8 pieces (or any other size) for your cards. It is also available for purchase at some craft stores.

You can go to framing stores and ask for scrap pieces of mat board because they usually have extra. Most stores would rather give it away than throw it out. Some stores will also cut it for you for free. It doesnt hurt to ask!

Please note mat board is not absolutely necessary for the base of your cards. Other options include: cardboard, card stock, file folders, index cards, watercolor paper, pages in an empty notebook. Please don't feel like you have to rush out to an art supply store and get mat board and figure out how to get it cut, in order to begin making cards with this e-course. Whatever you have will do nicely for now.

Scissors- Any kind of scissors will do for making SoulCollage cards. You will be using them to cut out images from magazines, so it will be helpful to have a small (very sharp) pair for doing any detailed cutting that you need to do. Scissors can be purchased at drug stores, craft stores, art stores, and just about anywhere! You probably have a pair in your kitchen or on your desk, so there's no need to buy anything new here either. Note: If you can't find a pair of scissors, guess what? You can actually make a SoulCollage card without them. Ripping images works well too.

Adhesive- You might have to try out different adhesives until you find the one thats right for you. Most can be purchased at craft stores, art supply stores, and places like WalMart. The simplest and easiest to use are plain 'ol glue sticks, or rubber/paper cement.

Frame- Take a regular piece of heavy paper or card stock and draw a 5 x 8 rectangle in the center of it. Cut out the rectangle and you'll have a frame with an opening the exact size of your SoulCollage cards. The frame is helpful when you find a really large image. You can lay the frame over it in different areas to see what exactly will fit on the card and what will not fit. It is also helpful for adding several images at once and seeing how it will all look because it covers up everything outside of the 5 x 8 border. Note: You can create this frame to be 5 x 7 or 4 x 6, or any other size that you like for your cards. Once you decide on a size, you will want to have all your cards in that size for a uniform deck. 5 x 8 cards are the ones that are available for sale in packs already cut.

Images- The most essential thing you need to create SoulCollage cards is an abundant assortment of images. You can find images for your cards in a number of places:

magazines
books
greeting cards
calendars
photographs
scrapbooking paper designs
rubber stamps
catalogs
brochures
travel brochures
junk mail

You can find great deals on books, greeting cards, catalogs and papers at yard sales, dollar stores, libraries and discount warehouse shops.

Here are some great places to get magazines for free. Most people are more than happy to save magazines for you (so be sure to ask first) because they feel better recycling them than throwing them out.

your dentists office
your doctors office
the library
yard sales
family and friends
school libraries
online
manicure shops
healing offices

I have found some awesome travel books with great background (and other) images at really low prices in the discount section of the major chain bookstores.

After only a short while of making SoulCollage cards, you will be seeing potential images for your cards everywhere!

HOMEPLAY

You've heard of "homework," right? Well, this is play time, not work time, so I'm calling your assignments "homeplay" instead! Here's what you need to do. It's time to stop reading and start scrounging for supplies. Your mission (should you decide to accept it) is to gather: mat boards (or some kind of base) for your first cards, scissors, glue, and images... or at least some magazines. Also, don't forget to make your frame!

Let's pause a moment to express our gratitude to the many photographers, artists, and graphic artists whose images are leading us to new insights and discoveries on our SoulCollage journey to wholeness. Thank you!

SoulCollage cards are not to be sold, traded, or bartered; they are to be reproduced only for the personal use of the maker of the card. SoulCollagecards may be shared as examples to illustrate the SoulCollage process, but it is a principle of SoulCollage that SoulCollage cards are not for sale, trade, or barter.

For more information visit:
> Create Art for Your Soul
 

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