Insights from Collage Class

This summer, I started what I’m calling a creative sabbatical. A reset to recharge and rebuild my creative muscle while leaving space for high-impact work.

Recently, I had the chance to revisit an old hobby by taking a collage workshop (outside). It’s been a while since I’ve taken a course, especially one in visual art or mixed media.

Creative Practice Notes

This series explores how routine creative practice and hands-on work can sharpen thinking, shift mental models, and unlock new possibilities. Each note reflects one or more of the following goals:

• Reconnect with creative practice
• Demonstrate creativity as strategy
• Share new paths to innovate

Preparation & Improvisation

To prepare for the class, we were asked to bring our own supplies and collage materials, either pre-made or handmade. Because I have a bad habit of choosing the most difficult path, I went the DIY route and attempted to make my own collage papers using CitraSolv.

I watched too many YouTube videos of expert artists making the process look effortless. At first, I followed their instructions to the letter. After about an hour of struggle, not enjoying the process, making a mess, and not loving what I was seeing, I decided to improvise.

Once I let go of the rules and started experimenting, I actually found a few techniques that worked better for me. In the end, maybe 20 percent of my papers made the cut, and they happened to be the ones I created off-script.

Takeaway
There is no shortage of experts with helpful playbooks and opinions, but your best work usually reflects your take, not a paint-by-numbers formula. You may also enjoy the process more by creating space for improvisation. Foundational knowledge is a start, but at some point, you have to become the expert in what works for you.

Curiosity, Presence & Adaptability

I packed all my supplies the night before. Followed the instructor’s supply list and prep instructions to the letter. I arrived early to the venue, but still ended up a little late because construction had moved the class to a different location at the last minute.

Finding the new spot was a bit of a scavenger hunt and required wandering into spaces I normally wouldn’t visit, down narrow paths and behind buildings. I hate being late, but I actually enjoyed the walk. Thankfully, the VMFA campus is beautiful. On the way there, I became present enough to notice a handmade “collage class” sign pinned to a tree.

Takeaway
Sometimes the journey is the whole point. Expect the unexpected. The finished product may matter less than the detour, the conversation, the other lost people you meet along the way, or the choice to show up at all.

Final Thoughts: On Innovation, Mental Models & Structure

In systems thinking, mental models are the internalized expectations we carry about how things should work. These models shape how we prepare, how we respond, and how we define success.

One common model is the belief that thorough preparation leads to predictable outcomes. But preparation alone cannot account for unexpected constraints or unplanned conditions. When the script no longer applies, presence, improvisation, and curiosity become essential.

Takeaway
Discovery often happens not by doubling down on what was planned, but by being willing to adapt when the plan no longer fits. This isn’t about abandoning structure. It’s about not being ruled by it.

This post is part of my Creative Practice series, a collection of field notes from my creative sabbatical. If it resonates, subscribe to the newsletter and join the conversation on social.