Collage Your Summer: An Invitation to Capture the Season Through Art

Summer’s finally here. Can you feel it?

The way the days stretch a little longer, like they're giving us extra time to breathe, to wander, to feel the sun warm our skin and maybe—just maybe—slow down a little. There’s something about the start of summer that makes us all feel like kids again. Like there’s magic in the air. Like anything could happen.

And honestly, that’s exactly the kind of feeling that begs to be captured. Not just with your phone camera (though I’m sure your snapshots are great). I’m talking about something messier, more tactile. Something you can touch, tear, glue, and layer. I’m talking about collage.

So consider this your official invitation: Collage your summer. Whether you're traveling the world, staying home, working, playing, parenting, or figuring things out as you go—your summer is worth documenting. Not in a polished, perfect way. In a real, colorful, expressive way.

Let’s talk about how. I went first, and now it’s your turn. I hope you enjoy.

Why Collage? Because Summer Is a Mood

You don’t need to be an artist to collage. You don’t need a plan, a theme, or fancy materials. What you do need is a little time and a willingness to play.

Collage is a way to express what’s going on in your world without needing the right words. It’s visual journaling. It’s storytelling. It’s pulling bits and pieces of life—magazine clippings, ticket stubs, wrappers, paint splashes, receipts, Polaroids, leaves, anything—and giving them a new life on the page.

Summer, with its wild freedom and little unplanned moments, is the perfect season for this.

Because summer is:

• Drippy popsicles

• Music blasting from open windows

• Sand between your toes

• Long drives with nowhere to go

• Watermelon juice on your chin

• Late nights that turn into early mornings

• A suitcase that never quite gets unpacked

• Flip-flops and freckles and thunderstorm skies

It’s not just about what you do—it’s how it feels. And that feeling? That’s what we’re capturing

“But I Don’t Know What to Collage…”

If you’ve never collaged before, or if you’re looking at a blank page wondering where to start, you’re not alone. The blank page can be a little intimidating. But trust me—once you start ripping, pasting, and layering, something clicks. You begin to follow the rhythm of your own curiosity.

Here’s the thing: You don’t have to know what you’re doing. You just have to begin.

Start with a question like:

• What’s one thing I did today that made me smile?

• What colors feel like summer to me?

• If I could bottle this moment, what would it look like?

Still stuck? Take a walk. Grab a few leaves, a receipt from the coffee shop, or a napkin doodle. Look through an old magazine. Tear out whatever catches your eye. You don’t need a reason yet. Just collect.

Then, play.

Let your collage be messy, layered, abstract, or literal. Maybe it’s a whole page about that one perfect Saturday afternoon you spent at the lake. Or maybe it’s a dreamy, pastel mood board of the summer you hope to have. Maybe it’s a patchwork of moments that don’t seem connected until you see them together.

There’s no wrong way to do this. The beauty is in the freedom.

Collaging Is for Everyone (Yes, Even You)

This isn’t just for artists or scrapbookers. This is for:

• The parent documenting their kid’s first swim lesson

• The teen dreaming of next summer’s road trip

• The person working a day job but soaking up the sunsets

• The soul in recovery, rest, or reflection

• The dreamer making vision boards in their head

It’s for the quiet moments and the loud ones. The front porch coffees. The flea market finds. The music you can’t stop playing. The ice cream flavors you try on a whim. The feeling of grass under your feet. The scent of sunscreen on your skin.

Summer doesn’t need to be big to be worth remembering.

And your collage? It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be yours.

Where to Collage: Anywhere and Everywhere

You don’t need a studio or a big setup. Grab a notebook, a sketchbook, or even a folder filled with loose pages. A wall. A shoebox. A digital canvas if that’s your vibe. The point is to have a space where you can let your summer live.

Set up a corner somewhere. Make it a ritual: a weekly collage session. Light a candle, play your summer playlist, and collage with a lemonade (or a margarita) by your side.

Make it a solo practice or invite a friend. A summer collage night is way better than doom-scrolling in silence. Trust me.

Inspiration Is Everywhere (You Just Have to Look Differently)

Once you start collaging, you begin to see things differently. Suddenly, the napkin from your favorite café feels like a souvenir. The postcard your aunt sent becomes the centerpiece. The headline from that random magazine article says something deeper than it should.

You become a scavenger of moments.

Look for:

• Words that speak to you (cut them out!)

• Colors that repeat in your week

• Shapes, lines, and textures that make your eye stop

• Things that make you laugh

• Little scraps of “nothing” that turn into “something”

A collage isn’t just paper and glue. It’s memory. It’s energy. It’s the emotional map of your summer.

Collaging as a Practice of Presence

The truth is, summer can feel like it’s flying by. You blink, and suddenly it’s August. But when you take time to sit down, reflect, and create—even for just 15 minutes—you slow it all down.

Collaging helps you pay attention.

You start noticing what matters. You realize the day was more than just errands or chores—it had a golden hour, a funny moment, a conversation that stuck with you. Maybe you were tired, but the sky still turned pink and you still got to see it.

Collaging helps you be here. In your body, in your heart, in the season.

Your Summer, Your Story

Maybe this summer won’t look how you expected. Maybe you’re not going on vacation. Maybe you're in a season of change or waiting. Maybe you’re rebuilding. Or maybe you’re right in the middle of your favorite summer yet.

Wherever you are, your story is worth holding onto.

So collage it.

Capture the sticky, sweet, beautiful mess of it all.

Make a page for the beach days and the breakdowns. For the late-night giggles and the mid-day naps. For the plans that went perfectly and the ones that didn’t. For the dreams, the rest, the joy, the growth.

You’re living through a summer you’ll never get again. Let’s make something from it.

A Few Final Words (and a Nudge to Start)

Here’s what I want you to know: you don’t need to have it all figured out to begin. You don’t need to make a masterpiece. You just need to say yes to the invitation.

Rip that page. Smudge that paint. Glue that weird little flower you found on your walk. Tell your story.

And if you’re still not sure what your summer story is—collaging might just help you find it.

So grab your scissors, your glue, your scraps, and your sense of wonder. The season is waiting. Let’s collage it.