“If you are looking for some “me” time, I thoughly recommend Birungi’s art class. It’s a great way to destress as you’re completely focussed on the piece of art you are creating”
The lovely people who join my Mindful African art classes and online Creative Collage sessions are both excited and nervous to experiment with collage - I love holding space for absolute beginners to paint with African print textiles and make art they are proud of.
I remind everyone, that collage is a made-up art-form: you can make your own rules and there are no mistakes! I fully understand the nerves that arise, to help myself relax when making art. I like a backdrop of motivational and uplifting music like Beyonce’s Homecoming live album - it’s energising and reminds me that with focus I can achieve anything! I also really enjoy the soothing guitar riffs of Khruangbin which help me to become mindful. Fluff reality TV programmes are great too as I don’t need to concentrate on them!
Another relaxation technique i use is to experiment with a sketching exercise to help myself get over the initial anxiety of drawing; I also use this technique in my art classes to help soothe my participants. Very quickly, I find they relax, focus and become curious about what they can achieve through making their art.
Collage art is very accessible. Talking to other artists who paint, sculpt and use specific materials, they are often held back by the fear of making mistakes on expensive materials; using recycled household materials like magazine paper, wallpaper, photos and old fabric make experimentation fun, with no pressure to get it ‘right’ the first time.
In my class, I observe that being together with a shared purpose helps people to support each other to create. Participants chat to each and learn from each other and experiment with different ways to layer paper and card to achieve their creative vision.
There are endless possibilities with creative collage. I find that participants love the freedom that comes with collage and it improves their wellbeing and self-esteem. My Mindful African art classes are always encouraging spaces for all to create art mindfully.