Collect Images

If you’re planning on doing collages for all of the Steps or Traditions, you might want to spend some time finding potential images BEFORE you start working on a piece. As you flip through source materials, you can start a folder and paper clip together images that might work with a particular topic. One artist had 12 labeled envelopes where she wrote her version of the Step on the outside and then she’d collect potential images for that theme inside.

It’s also nice to have large background images which are easy to find in old nature calendars or used coffee table books.

Image Sources

• Go to your local recycling center, Little Free Library, or library book sale to look for magazines and coffee table books.
• Ask friends, family, and neighbors for their old magazines (National Geographic is a good one for images) and wall calendars. You can also post on your local Facebook Buy Nothing group.
• Some people like to add words to their collages. You can type them up, find them on the Internet, or in magazines.

Suggested Materials

• Glue stick 
• Old catalog to use when applying glue to the back of an image (then you can just flip to a clean page as needed)
• Scissors
• X-Acto knife with fresh blades (good for cutting in tight areas)
• Cardstock to use as a base for your images. If you’re going to do a complete set (i.e., all the Steps), you might want to decide on a standard size and trim a stack to draw from. A common measurement is 6×8 inches (or 15×20 cm). The small size helps you focus on a few important images to convey your ideas.
• A table or large work area to spread your stuff out

Create in a Group!

Collage could be a good activity for accountability buddies, sponsor/sponsees, or recovery circles and works well over Zoom. Set aside 2-3 hours and allow a little time to go over the theme (e.g., read aloud your favorite Step versions and book passages) before you start and save some time before the end to share your collages with each other. It’s also good to set a timer halfway through as a gentle reminder to keep yourselves on track.