From Bedridden to Collagin
When I was 23 I was stuck in bed from Crohn’s disease, an auto-immune disease of the digestive system. I experienced fatigue, a lack of energy, and weakened cognitive abilities. I struggled to get up, think clearly, and read and write. During this time, I gravitated toward passive activities such as browsing books, magazines, and photo albums.
Instagram had been growing popular for about four years at that point and was a place to stumble upon artists and their work. I discovered New York artist, Amy Grantham, and her free-spirited collage pieces. I learned that she had recently survived breast cancer and through that experience produced work that was playful, whimsical, and inspiring.
I started collaging and noticed firsthand how art, specifically collage art, can be mentally healing. It is less dexterous than drawing, less messy than painting, and I could explore other places from the confinement of my bed.
When I experienced difficult days, I found that passive art like collaging and doodling helped similarly to a meditation. I felt relaxed, restored, and rejuvenated enough to rebuild my creativity, self-expression, and imagination.
8 x 11 in. magazine collage
8 x 8 in. magazine collage
2014 “Tron” Rosco gels on 4 x 6 in. photo
My first part-time job after I was bedridden was at a canvas print shop. I doodled on the bad prints until I got caught posting them on Instagram. A few years later, I put “Levitate Me” in my portfolio application for Interior Architecture at Cornish College of the Arts and was awarded a merit scholarship.
My Cornish classmate, Lauren Wilcox, is also an artist who has an auto-immune disease, she works with gouache, photography, and lighting design and now runs collage workshops in Seattle. She often features DJ, lighting designer, and fellow classmate Colin Johnstone.
My experience at Cornish expanded my knowledge of architecture, design, and community building. We were a graduating class of eight, which provided a rare opportunity to thoroughly work through creative problem-solving, self-expression, and aesthetics.
Writing this now, and piecing together how art therapy has worked for me, I’m astonished to witness its benefits firsthand, it got me from bedridden to a BFA and more. I remember back when I was collaging, I thought to myself, “I might not become a collage artist but I have a feeling this is going to get me somewhere”. May it be an episode of depression, cramps, chronic illness, or critical care, collaging can be a passive, expressive, and rewarding part of the healing journey.
March 19th, 2024
