Collage: A Powerful Tool in Art Therapy, Activism, and Personal Expression
If you know me, you know I love both paper and digital collage.
And if you don’t know me, hi there! I’m Kristy Leone, LCPC, LCPAT, ATR-BC (she/they), and I am a licensed mental health counselor, art therapist, and artist. Read more about my work as the Outdoor Art Therapist here!
Collage is one of the most foundational techniques in the art therapy room, for all ages. As simple as it may seem, I find it to be an incredibly powerful medium that serves a wide range of purposes—from activism and collective group work to deeply personal reflection and emotional expression. As an art therapist, I use collage as a therapeutic tool in individual sessions, group therapy, supervision with therapists-in-training, and even in my own personal artistic practice. When reflecting on themes of activism and community connection, I recognize how invaluable collage has been in expressing emotions, exploring identities, and facilitating communication.
In this blog post, I’ll dive into some of the key ways I integrate collage into my art therapy work and offer practical tips on how you can tap into the transformative power of both paper and digital collage.
Neuroscience, Social Justice, and the Power of Collage in Art Therapy
Collage, at its core, is a process of integration: bringing disparate elements together to form a cohesive whole. This mirrors the way our brain works, particularly when processing emotions, memories, and experiences. From a neuroscience perspective, the process of making a collage activates both the ‘creative’ and logical’ parts of the brain, allowing for emotional regulation and cognitive flexibility! The act of creating something from fragments can promote healing by allowing the brain to process difficult feelings and experiences (without necessarily relying on only verbal processing).
We have seen that powerful movements, such as Black Lives Matter or movements advocating for environmental justice, collage has been used as a form of visual storytelling. Protesters often create powerful collage-style art that combines imagery (like photos, newspaper clippings, and personal messages) into pieces that communicate the urgency of their cause. These collages can be used on posters, banners, and social media, visually reinforcing the messages of resistance, solidarity, and justice.
I remember attending the Women’s March of 2017 in Philadelphia, I saw both individuals and groups created collage-style signs that included powerful imagery, quotes, and photos. These collages visually represented the diverse voices of the feminist movement, showcasing the intersectionality of the issues at hand (women’s rights, racial justice, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ+ rights).
When it comes to activism and social justice, collage is a powerful tool for collective action.
Collage as a therapeutic tool in art therapy, exploring emotions and personal expression. Paper collage made with magazine, altered book materials, oil pastels.
When it comes to activism and social justice, collage is a powerful tool for collective action. Creating together (whether inside the therapy room or outside the therapy space) - can be an act of co-creation. Collage gives people a way to express shared beliefs and unite around a common cause. For me, it’s been a way to represent solidarity, community connection, and the fight for justice in a very real, visual way.
The Benefits of Collage in Art Therapy
Here are just a few reasons why collage is such a great tool in art therapy:
Understanding feelings: Sometimes it’s hard to express feelings, sensation, or emotions with words. Trust me- I experience this, too. Collage lets clients (of all ages) take emotions and experiences that feel too big or complicated and turn them into something they can see and touch. This moves the internal world outside.
Fosters integration: By combining different images and elements, collage helps bring together fragmented parts of a person’s experience, creating a more unified sense of self. As a practitioner that focused on ‘parts-work’ and inner child healing, it’s wonderful to help talk about these abstract concepts in more tangible ways.
Talking without words: For those who find it hard to talk about difficult topics (whether it’s trauma, anxiety, or identity) collage offers an alternative form of expression. It provides a way to communicate without the pressure of finding the "right" words. In my experience, some clients find that after creating a collage, they can actually talk more freely about what’s been on their mind. The act of expressing themselves visually often helps release emotions, making it easier to open up in conversation afterward.
Empowerment: Collage puts people in control. They get to choose what materials they want to work with, how to arrange things, and what message they want to convey.
Healing through action: Collage allows people to actively reshape and reframe their experiences, helping them take ownership of their healing.
“Head in the Clouds”
Mixed media collage I made with magazine, oil pastels, and ink. Exploring identity through personal expression with collage art therapy.
Collecting Materials for Collage: From Paper to Digital
Whether you’re creating physical or digital collages, collecting materials is part of the fun. Here are some easy-to-find materials, both for paper collages and digital ones:
Paper Collage Materials
Magazines: A classic go-to! Magazines are full of colorful images, textures, and words that can express anything from personal style to abstract concepts. They’re like a treasure trove of inspiration.
Food Packaging: Old cereal boxes, food labels, and other recyclable packaging offer great textures and colors. Plus, they’re eco-friendly!
Junk Mail: Believe it or not, junk mail can be a goldmine for collage materials. You get bold typography, pictures, and sometimes even strange ads that spark creative ideas.
Trader Joe’s Paper Bags: These bags are often beautifully textured and can be used to add earthy elements to your collages.
Stickers: Fun and quirky stickers can add personality to any piece. You might even have some laying around from various projects or events.
Old Newspapers: Great for headlines, bold imagery, or even for creating a collage around current events and social justice topics.
Paper Shape Stamps: These make for clean, precise edges, which can help you create neat and structured collages.
Fabric Scraps: A piece of fabric can bring new texture and depth to a collage. Got a t-shirt with holes? Pants with stubborn stains? Or maybe you bought a new pillowcase and are thinking of tossing the old one. Wait! Don’t throw that fabric out just yet. Consider using old clothes or fabric scraps to add a tactile quality to your collage. These materials can not only bring interesting textures, but they can also hold sentimental value, making your artwork even more personal and meaningful.
“Wake Up To Reality”
A collage representing activism and collective action in the community. Collage created with magazine, stickers, paper scraps, junk mail, and food package lettering.
Digital Collage Materials
Digital collage is an awesome alternative for anyone who doesn’t have physical materials on hand or just wants to work with a bit more flexibility. Here are a few easy-to-use digital tools:
Shuffles by Pinterest: This app lets you easily drag and drop images from Pinterest into a collage, making it super user-friendly.
Pinterest: Create inspiration boards to collect images that reflect your thoughts or feelings. Pinterest is also great for finding photos that represent a certain theme or project.
Google Slides or PowerPoint: Both of these tools let you drag images around, resize them, and layer different elements to make a digital collage.
Canva: Canva offers a wide variety of templates and is very intuitive for making collages. You can easily find images, add text, and arrange elements on the page.
Adobe Spark: This tool lets you create visually stunning collages with ease. It’s great for beginners and offers a lot of flexibility.
Procreate: If you’re using an iPad, Procreate is a powerful tool for digital art. You can create layered collages and have more control over textures and designs!
Tips for Collecting Collage Materials
Start with what’s around you: Look at old magazines, junk mail, old photos, and even receipts. Look for old letters, birthday cards, or sticker books. Consider something before you throw it out or recycle it- ask yourself, can I use this in any way? It’s surprising what you can find right in your own space!
Get creative with what you have: You don’t have to spend a lot of money on materials. Use things that already have personal meaning, like old ticket stubs, fabric scraps, or even old notebooks. I’ve used plenty of old journals, planners, and even old textbooks that are outdated.
Stay eco-friendly: Use materials that would otherwise end up in the trash, like packaging, junk mail, advertisements, or old magazines. This not only helps the planet, but it adds a unique, sustainable element to your art.
Organize your materials: If you’re working with physical materials, organizing by color, theme, or texture will make your collection more useful and easier to navigate. I usually keep my images separated by color, and I separate my letters and words as well by theme.
Play with digital platforms: If you’re super new to digital collage, start by experimenting with Shuffles or Canva. At this time for when this blog is written, there are free versions available for these apps. These tools are simple, but they allow for a lot of creativity- and no additional materials needed!
Collage is a wonderful tool that can be used for all kinds of things (whether you're working through personal emotions, participating in activism, or simply trying to express yourself creatively). It’s a form of art that invites both personal and collective expression, and it offers a way to heal, reflect, and grow.
By gathering materials from both the physical and digital world, you can unlock the power of collage to express yourself in new ways, explore your identity, and even bring others together for shared community and activism!
Want more resources?
Check out more blog posts here or head on over to my free resources page! I love sharing free resources that I find and creating my own worksheets for clients and supervision students to use in their journey of wellness!
If you’re ready to embark on this transformative journey toward inner healing, I invite you to take the next step and reach out through my website here.
Let’s walk this path together toward a more vibrant and fulfilling life—for you, for your child, and for your inner child!
Kristy Leone, LCPC, LCPAT, ATR-BC is a licensed art therapist and mental health counselor that specializes in therapy for children and therapy for inner child healing in Baltimore County, Maryland at Labyrinth Art and Wellness.
Kristy recognizes that this blog post is meant to spark ideas and creativity, and is not a substitute for therapy itself. If you have questions, comments, or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach on out.
Interested in beginning therapy for you or for your child? Kristy is currently accepting new client in the office, online, and outdoors for walk and talk therapy!
