I recently discovered the work of Mike Bernard after reading his book Collage, Colour and Texture in Painting. I read it cover to back, fascinated with his artwork and style, but also his work processes and philosophies. It struck me throughout that collaging—and other art forms—has a lot in common with writing.

I started collage during the pandemic, listening to music, audiobooks, or podcasts while gluing down images. And these weren’t just any images. I’ve rescued magazines from the recycling bin since my age was in the one-digits, cut out pictures of lipgloss, stuffed animals, and a bewildering number of platform sandals, and collected them in an old Altoids tin. My eye for images has since evolved from pre-teen obsessions, though I still find the occasional LipSmackers or lotion image lying in there. 

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