Women & Their Work: Collage Storytelling with Images and Objects
- Kimi's Travel Thoughts
- Feb 18
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 5
February 2025 Monthly Adventure
With February being Black History Month, I wanted to find a relevant activity in Austin to experience and feature as the latest addition to the Monthly Adventures Series.
Background
I was having trouble finding an adventure that worked with my schedule as I began scouring Eventbrite, Facebook, and Instagram for inspiration. However, I remembered that the Austin Public Library has events all the time across their various branches and found a branch with an event that I knew I couldn't pass up. There was a collage storytelling event hosted by Women & Their Work, a local art gallery featuring art created by women. They host workshops in the community to coincide with current exhibitions. As a travel blogger, I love storytelling and was excited to learn about how to tell meaningful personal stories through a collage.
Collage Storytelling
Our workshop began at 5:00 PM on a Monday, so there were only a handful of participants at the University Hills Branch of the Austin Public Library. There was an event space in the back and our facilitator, Mariah, got started by sharing more about Women & Their. After walking us through some information on the website, our small group learned about Don't Cry For Me When I'm Gone, the current exhibition by Irene Antonia Diane Reece. This is a photographic installation that highlights the emotions that can be felt when viewing Black Southern archives with added layers in both the literal and metaphorical sense. This workshop was designed to have participants take some of their own images and objects to create collages that tell a story.
We had about an hour and a half to work at the tables in the room to create our collages. I had a tote bag with some of the items that I have acquired throughout my life and wanted to find a way to make meaning of their importance and how they all tie back to a central theme. Using some of the fabric, print, and other crafting materials provided, I began piecing everything together.
I wanted to create a collage that told the story of my life in a way that was non-linear. I found a map in the materials provided by Women & Their Work and cut out a section of it as the centerpiece and starting point for my collage. From that point, I placed items in the places that felt right and did not think too much about where they went. I grabbed some more items from crafting materials table and continued arranging items until I came up with the following collage:
Each item has meaning and focuses on memories or details about my life that all relate to my central theme in a non-linear fashion. Here's a breakdown from left to right with the centerpiece explained last:
Collage base
brown satin with white lace on the left side; tan lace scraps on the right side; a trail of gold and green threat connects all items back to the centerpiece
Black doll in light blue dress with green ruffles and lined pattern
I found this image in the box of print materials at the craft table. It immediately reminded me of the pink tiered cake to mimic a dress with a Black Barbie on top that my mom ordered for my fifth birthday. I learned a couple of years ago that my mom was inspired by the cake she had for her birthday as a kid.
Yellow rosary
I went to Catholic school in my early years and was gifted this rosary by a classmate and it's something that I have often carried with me when traveling.
Blue ribbon with gold stars
As I kid, I received ribbons and awards for extracurricular activities like academic competitions, sports, and choir. This item from the craft table represents those winning moments in my life and my competitive edge.
Multicolor image
While I could not figure out what was in this image I sourced from the craft table, it made me think about my love for books that I had as a kid and how I have recently rekindled that interest after my June 2024 Monthly Adventure.
Bluebonnet
The official flower of Texas which is the state that is my home. I thought of my maternal grandmother when I saw it on the craft table because she has a bluebonnet display in her house.
Miami Heat bracelet
The Miami Heat is hands down my favorite NBA team! I have been a fan of them for about 21 years. Last season, I went to a road game in San Antonio and followed that up a few weeks later with a home game during my Day in Miami. This bracelet is a souvenir from my cruise with Virgin Voyages in 2023 when we went to Mexico.
Pink bedroom with bed in a black and white comforter image
The image featured in this bedroom is not my actual bedroom, but the designs are incredibly similar with this image from the craft table being a more high-end version. My bedroom is my place of peace and comfort and this design brings me joy!
Eiffel Tower
My bedroom is meant to feel a bit Parisian, so I have a few Eiffel Tower decorations in my room. This golden miniature tower is a reminder of how much I enjoyed my time visiting Paris about 10 years ago.
Texas 19 coin
After deciding to commit to enrolling at The University of Texas at Austin a decade ago, I got this challenge coin in the mail and it helped mark the beginning of the next stage of my life.
Multicolor sunglasses with "bright" on yellow paper beneath
These glasses are just a fun item I purchased 11 years ago from Forever 21 when I took my first trip to New York City while on choir trip in high school. My future was and continues to be bright!
Purple wooden "K"
My favorite color is purple and my mom painted the initial of my name in this color to match my room when I was kid. While I haven't had any place in mind to hang it in many years, I've always kept it because I love my name and initial.
Pastries and quiche image
I grabbed this out of a book from the craft table and added it to my collage because baking is one of my favorite things to do when I am feeling stressed. I'm a pretty good baker and I love to bake or purchase a good pastry, especially French pastries because they're not too sweet and full of delicious butter.
The University of Texas at Austin white logo on burnt orange box
This is the box the Texas 19 challenge coin came in. The institution has had a significant impact on my life from education, to my career, to my community involvement, and to the friends that I have made.
Centerpiece
A white and gray map cut into a rounded square with "Arrival" in rainbow letters across the top left corner with a black star blow. In the center of the map is the Kimi's Travel Thoughts logo on a PopSocket.
Wrap-Up
So, how do all these things link back to the centerpiece? Well, I was always good with directions from as young as 2 years old and I the same goes with reading maps. Maps are representative of my passion for traveling and the Kimi's Travel Thoughts logo is symbolic of how I share that with others on this blog. The black star is not meant to show that I have arrived at a specific location, but, rather that I am the star of my own life and I am always right where I need to be.
Speaking of arriving, I added "Arrival" on the map because it means that everything arrives to this central idea that all the items featured in my collage make up who I am and my love for travel. It also represents one of my favorite movies, which is Arrival (2016), that plays with the concept of time being non-linear which I tried to showcase in my collage. My collage starts out with items that are reminiscent of my past on the far left, but blends old with the new while working towards the middle and the right side features past and ongoing aspects of my life.
Reflecting on my own history by using the objects that I have kept with me for years or through materials found at the craft table was peaceful and the dedicated moment of introspection that I needed on a Monday night after work. I enjoyed viewing the collages of the other participants and learning more about the people in the room with me that day. Everyone has a unique story, and I really appreciated this concept of collage storytelling as a way to delve deeper into the meaning of things and events in one's life.
On to the next adventure!
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