Abstract
Hand-based paper-ripping collage-making (PRCM) promotes wellbeing through circular engagement with re-purposed papers as transitional materials, demonstrating a threephased framework (apprehension, confidence, co-creation) that is potentially transferable to bio-based materials and other substrates. The study introduces paperpeutic, a neologistic term describing the therapeutic value arising from mindful, improvisational engagement with manual ripping in PRCM contexts, drawing inspiration from Japanese Chigiri-e and Western collage traditions. The practice fosters mindfulness, creativity, and community through direct, hands-on engagement, providing an accessible alternative to the abstraction and precision of digital design. Salvaged paper is reframed as an active collaborator in the processes of meaning-making and care, supporting inclusivity and relational design practices. In responding to contemporary digital dematerialisation, PRCM offers a tangible, material approach that encourages environmental responsibility while cultivating interpersonal wellbeing. Beyond workshops, PRCM’s phases offer a scaffold for ‘deconstruct-re-design’ stations—non-guided ripping, disrupting cognitive patterns, allowing for generative ideation to emerge.
Keywords
collage, wellbeing, materiality, recycling
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.946
Citation
Vaughan, D. (2026) Cut it out: Reframing hand paper-ripping as a collage method for wellbeing and care, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.946
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Cut it out: Reframing hand paper-ripping as a collage method for wellbeing and care
Hand-based paper-ripping collage-making (PRCM) promotes wellbeing through circular engagement with re-purposed papers as transitional materials, demonstrating a threephased framework (apprehension, confidence, co-creation) that is potentially transferable to bio-based materials and other substrates. The study introduces paperpeutic, a neologistic term describing the therapeutic value arising from mindful, improvisational engagement with manual ripping in PRCM contexts, drawing inspiration from Japanese Chigiri-e and Western collage traditions. The practice fosters mindfulness, creativity, and community through direct, hands-on engagement, providing an accessible alternative to the abstraction and precision of digital design. Salvaged paper is reframed as an active collaborator in the processes of meaning-making and care, supporting inclusivity and relational design practices. In responding to contemporary digital dematerialisation, PRCM offers a tangible, material approach that encourages environmental responsibility while cultivating interpersonal wellbeing. Beyond workshops, PRCM’s phases offer a scaffold for ‘deconstruct-re-design’ stations—non-guided ripping, disrupting cognitive patterns, allowing for generative ideation to emerge.