Why I love using collage as an (autistic) illustrator

I shared this post on Instagram yesterday as it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about recently. As an illustrator, it’s really important to have a workflow that feels engaging and fun as this brings out the best in people creatively! I also love embracing my inner child with collage as it helps my illustrations to feel fun, confident and friendly. Anyway, here are my thoughts on how this process affects me and my neurodivergent brain, and how I’ve embraced collage in some recent pieces like the one below.

This cheerful collage card is now available in my shop!

I love drawing and I’m pretty good at it (this is not a brag, it’s just my job!). But I do often find it hard to do, especially if I’m feeling tired or overwhelmed. Drawing uses lots of brain power and requires a particular kind of concentration that, as an autistic-and-possibly-also-ADHD-person, I can’t always seem to activate.

Collage, on the other hand, feels like it uses an entirely different part of my brain. It feels playful, fun, and low-pressure because it’s so easy to move things around or paste over bits that don’t quite work. 

A major barrier to my workflow is overwhelm. If a project seems enormous or massively detailed, I will often avoid getting started because I either can’t work out what the first steps are, or I worry that I will “get it wrong”. With collage, I can reduce these feelings because I have the flexibility to work on different bits at different times and can test alternative options before committing.

I am also less likely to overwork things because the illustrations come together relatively quickly, and cutting with scissors forces me to let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies. The result is that my artwork feels more energetic and more handmade - which is exactly what I’m searching for in the battle against AI.

These collage cuties have been popular with wholesale stockists on Faire!

What do you think? Do you have a project in mind that would suit a colourful collage style? Drop me a line and let’s chat!