Expressive Collage Activity: Exploring the Past and Future
Let’s dive into a creative exercise that will explore both the past and the future. We’ll be using art to reflect on where we’ve been and where we want to go. Here’s how you can create your own visual and written exploration of time:
From the Desk of Dr. Judith Greer Essex:
You will begin creating something visually powerful that explores both the past and the future. Use my collage as an example. You will see, I made a magazine collage that represents two different perspectives: one looking back at the past, and the other envisioning the future. On the left side of the piece, which represents the past, I gathered images that evoke memories, history, and reflections—pay attention to the eyes of the people in the images. You’ll notice that in my collage, all the eyes on the left side are looking to the left, symbolizing the act of reflecting back. On the right-hand side of your collage, which represents the future, I collected images that convey hope, progress, and forward thinking. Here, the eyes look forward, symbolizing a vision of what is to come. This visual metaphor will serve as a powerful reminder of the relationship between the past and the future and how they influence one another.
Now, I invite you to create a collage of your own following these steps:
Step 1: Create Your Collage of the Past and the Future
Begin by creating a collage that visually represents both the past and the future. Use images, words, or phrases from magazines, newspapers, or any other materials you have on hand that symbolize these two different time periods.
Representing the Past:
- On the left side of your collage, focus on depicting the past.
- Choose images, symbols, or words that convey themes of history, memories, or things that have already happened.
Representing the Future:
- On the right side of your collage, focus on representing the future.
- Select images, symbols, or phrases that symbolize what’s yet to come—things like progress, innovation, or new beginnings.
Bringing the Two Together:
- As you build your collage, aim to make both sides distinct but interconnected. Think about how the past shapes the future, and use contrasting colors, textures, or images to express this relationship.
- You could create a subtle transition between the two sections or make a bold separation, depending on the theme you want to convey.
This collage will visually capture the contrast between the past and the future, while also showing their connection.
Step 2: Write About Beginnings
Now that you’ve created a visual representation of time, let’s get into writing. I’m a fan of using lists as prompts to spark ideas, so here’s your next task:
Make a list of 10 beginnings from 2024.
These could be:
- Events that started this year
- Moments in your life when something new began
- New habits you picked up
- Projects you started
- Anything that marked the beginning of something in your life this year
Make a list of 10 things you would like to start in 2025.
Think about:
- Goals you want to set for next year
- New habits or practices you want to adopt
- Skills you want to learn
- Adventures or experiences you want to begin
- Personal growth milestones you aim to achieve
Step 3: Reflect and Connect
As you look at both your collage and your lists, take a moment to reflect on the connection between the past and the future. How have the experiences from 2024 informed the goals you want to achieve in 2025? How do the images of the past interact with the vision of the future?
In doing so, you may find that our history is not just something we look back on, but something that continuously informs our vision for the future. This can be a reminder that the past is never truly behind us—it shapes the way we move forward.
In this light, the end of one journey is simply the beginning of the next. Our past, with all its lessons, is always there to guide us, even as we set out on new paths.
So, let’s make this year one of art, beauty, and intentional beginnings. By starting something new, we continue the cycle of creation and discovery. Here’s to an aesthetically beautiful year ahead—may we all have the courage to begin anew and make this year one to remember! Let’s start something meaningful!
As the poet T.S. Eliot beautifully expressed:
What we call the beginning,
Is often the end,
And to make an end,
Is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
For more activities, such as this, consider joining us at an intro weekend at the Expressive Arts Institute!
