Making Time for Art with Timed Collage Prompts

Encouraging Creativity with Timed Collage!

Are you trying to incorporate art into your daily routine? Are you looking for ways to encourage creativity in your students? A timed collage prompt might just be something for you to try!

At the 2024 NAEA conference I went to a wonderful hands-on art workshop where we did timed collage prompts on index cards with art journaling artist Eric Scott!

• This idea can be used to encourage experimentation and play in your students- by setting a time limit, the students have to work creatively within those constraints.

• This idea can also be used to jump-start your own daily art practice, as it fits into a busy schedule.

The workshop I am going to tell you about today was the “Collage Magic” workshop by Eric Scott. Who is Eric Scott? I first learned of his work when I read Journal Fodder Junkies and Journal Fodder 365 years ago. As you may know, I am a huge fan of collage and art journaling and it is my preferred method of art making. Eric is also an art educator who works with kids.

If you go to his website, you can read more about his art, but also get some free downloads with things like cartoon drawing guides, monster drawings and journal prompts. You can stay up-to-date with what he’s doing by following his SubStack or Instagram.

Timed Collages in the Collage Magic Workshop

In this workshop, we did a series of collages on index cards using simple (not precious) materials like construction paper and glue.

He set the timer for just a few minutes for each collage – any amount of time would work, but these were about 3-7 minutes each. We thought about using different techniques and cutting different shapes. Could you create interest by ripping or tearing? Another teacher near me created pop-ups, so we definitely got creative. With time constraints, it forces you to make quick decisions and not worry too much about the final results. It’s a way to let go of the critical voice in your head.

For this next set, we chose one color only to use and focused on creating interesting negative space. We had about 15 minutes to create all three cards.

For the last exercise, we made a culminating collage on larger 6″x8″ paper with a slightly longer time frame to create our collage. What I love about this idea is that there are so many different directions these collages can go and I’m sure your students will come up with a huge array of different results.

Creating a Daily Practice with Small Collages

One thing Eric talks about is creating a daily practice. This is SO hard to do when we are busy with so many other daily things on our to-do list. I have sadly fallen away from a consistent art journaling practice, but I know that I always feel better when I find the time to cut, paste and play. Now I am intentionally seeking out scheduled opportunities to make art, such as an art journaling meetup at a local art store. If it’s on my calendar and I paid for it, I’m more likely to go! Keep reading for more tips about creating a daily practice.

• One of his tips is to keep it small when first starting, like using an index card for a collage. In the workshop, we made a series of collages in this size.

• Another tip is to use the cheap stuff– working on an index card doesn’t feel as precious as your expensive canvas.

• Make a routine for your art practice. If you can find a specific time of day to work on your art, it can help you be consistent.

• And lastly, leave it set up. If you have room for a dedicated workspace for your art, that helps because you already have your materials set up and ready to go.

Eric has committed to a daily practice of making a collage a day, with remarkable results! Just look at this stack of collages!

Here are a few of the striking collages Eric has made!

A few more thoughts… NAEA Workshops

Are you going to be attending the upcoming National Art Education Association Conference?

First of all, if you are an art teacher and have never attended an NAEA conference, you should try to do so at some point. You will be blown away with all of the amazing sessions and ideas shared. In addition, you get to try out and get samples of all the latest art supplies!

Second, if you are going, you should try out a “ticketed” workshop. The regular (included) sessions will give you loads of new ideas and things to think about, but the “ticketed” workshops are the place to have hands-on artmaking experiences in a smaller setting led by qualified art educators. I have gone to many ticketed workshops at past NAEA conference- such as a Lynda Barry drawing comics workshop and workshops about tooling foil, encaustics and mosaics. I try to pick 2 or 3 at every conference as it is fun to try new things that I haven’t experienced yet. Remember, you need to sign up for these ahead of time, as they do fill up!

Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to attend this year’s conference, but I’m planning ahead to Chicago next year, and since that is much closer and doesn’t require a plane ride, I will most likely be at the 2026 conference.

Final Thoughts

• Another great resource for daily creative inspiration is Daisy Yellow Art and her ICAD challenge. I participated in this challenge years ago and it was really fun.

• Artist Trading Cards are a twist on the index card idea, with an even smaller space to make art. I used to collect and trade these and have a huge binder full of them. (Idea for future blog post!)

Have you ever tried timed art prompts? What was your experience like? Let me know if you have any other good resources to share with this idea!