3rd January 2026 Marilys Corbex
Here is what I can say about the “dark thoughts” one: I made this collage on a day when I was feeling depressed and told myself that I should do something artistic about depression instead of simply being depressed and inefficient.
A skeleton and an octopus seemed to me to illustrate well the darkness that takes hold of the soul when one is depressed.
I added a cockroach to make the picture complete. In French, the the expression “having the cockroach” means “to feel depressed”. The structure at the top illustrates the kind of knot one can have in the head. But actually, in real life, it is a large and magnificent portal, that of the Turin Opera House, made by a local artist/architect in the 60es,i and it was quite a headache to cut it out for this collage.
When I write“cut out,” since it’s a photograph, it actually means erasing everything between the elements. It’s really more like a coloring job, which is quite relaxing. But for this particular element, it was truly very time-consuming.
The lady lying on a bed of marble was also photographed in Italy nearby Turin during the same trip, but I can’t remember exactly where. Italy is so full of beautiful things, everywhere.
1 thought on “Curative Collage”
My dear,
Thank you for sharing. I am a firm believer in using creative work as therapy. I have personal experience and often encourage others who feel low to use any form of creative activity to boost their mood. I hope others who read your story of using collage art as therapy will be encouraged to help themselves. Mental health is a neglected area. Often, people will ignore when you start to share your low feelings. Creative art is a way to express yourself without anyone to listen to, and it is a natural way to improve one’s mood. There is a need for greater awareness of using creative work to help oneself during our low periods.